Name: Danielle Alvarez’s slow-cooked ocean trout with peas, and Meyer lemon and fennel salsa
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: ½ small fennel bulb, coarsely chopped (reserve other half for salsa); 2 lemons, thinly sliced; 1 ocean trout fillet (about 1.2kg), skin on pin-boned; 1 bunch bronze fennel (see note); For drizzling: olive oil; 180 gm sugarsnap peas, trimmed and sliced diagonally; 120 gm podded peas (about 350gm unpodded); Meyer lemon and fennel salsa; ½ small fennel bulb, finely chopped, fronds reserved; 1 golden shallot, finely chopped; 1 Meyer lemon, cheeks removed, finely diced (see note); Juice of ½ lemon; 100 ml olive oil

Danielle Alvarez’s slow-cooked ocean trout with peas, and Meyer lemon and fennel salsa

This recipe for slow-cooked ocean trout comes courtesy of chef Danielle Alvarez.

Serves 6 - 8

Prep

30M

Cook

20M

Total

50M

“In the US, the wild king salmon season opens in the middle of spring and those who know this can’t wait to get their hands on it,” says Alvarez. “Although salmon is not indigenous to Australia, ocean trout is a suitable substitution. Fin-fish aquaculture is a contentious topic around the world, but Australia certainly is leading the pack on sustainable practices.”

Ingredients

½ small fennel bulb, coarsely chopped (reserve other half for salsa)

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1 ocean trout fillet (about 1.2kg), skin on pin-boned

1 bunch bronze fennel (see note)

For drizzling: olive oil

180 gm sugarsnap peas, trimmed and sliced diagonally

120 gm podded peas (about 350gm unpodded)

Meyer lemon and fennel salsa

½ small fennel bulb, finely chopped, fronds reserved

1 golden shallot, finely chopped

1 Meyer lemon, cheeks removed, finely diced (see note)

Juice of ½ lemon

100 ml olive oil

Method

Main

1.For salsa, blanch fennel until just tender (1-1½ minutes), drain, refresh and set aside. Combine shallot and lemon in a bowl with lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and stand to soften (8-10 minutes). Add fennel and olive oil, season to taste and set aside.

2.Preheat oven to 135C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper, scatter with fennel and half the lemon slices, then place fish on top skin-side down. Season to taste, scatter with bronze fennel and remaining lemon slices, drizzle generously with olive oil and roast until cooked medium-rare (15-20 minutes; because of the low temperature, the flesh will cook and flake, but still appear a deep red colour inside).

3.Meanwhile, blanch peas (2-3 minutes) and sugarsnap peas (1-2 minutes), drain, refresh, drain well and transfer to a bowl. Serve peas with roast trout, all scattered with a generous amount of Meyer lemon and fennel salsa.

Note Bronze fennel and Meyer lemons are available from specialist greengrocers and farmers’ markets. Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons; if they’re unavailable use the zest only of a regular lemon – the flesh will be too tart for this. If bronze fennel is unavailable, use fennel fronds.
Drink Suggestion: A perfect summer dish to go with perfect summer wine. I recommend a Mediterranean rosé – Rimauresq Cru Classé Côtes de Provence from the south of France. Drink suggestion by Franck Moreau
Notes