Smoked sea trout with chive potato salad
Use woodchips and a barbecue to cook your trout Stein-style, then serve with a quick chive dressing, luxury potato salad and plenty of fresh tomatoes.
Ingredients
For the chive dressing
- small bunch fresh chives
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 90ml/3fl oz extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
For the potato salad
- 1kg/2lb 4oz new potatoes such as Jersey Royals, scrubbed
- 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1–2 tbsp capers
- 1–2 gherkins, depending on size, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- small handful fresh parsley, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the tomato salad
- 6 tomatoes, finely sliced
- 1 small red onion, finely sliced
- pinch caster sugar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- handful fresh parsley or fresh basil, chopped or torn
Method
To make a light brining liquid, dissolve the salt in 600ml/20fl oz water in a shallow dish. Add the trout fillet, cover and leave for 20 minutes. Drain and pat the fish dry.
For the chive dressing, set aside four of the chives for a garnish and finely chop the remainder. Mix them with the shallot, olive oil, vinegar and salt.
To make the potato salad, boil the potatoes in salted water, then drain and cool. Cut them into halves or quarters, depending on size, and mix with the remaining potato salad ingredients. Set aside.
To make the tomato salad, arrange the sliced tomatoes on a serving plate and scatter over the sliced red onion. Season well with salt, pepper and sugar, then dress with oil and vinegar and garnish with the chopped herbs.
To cook the trout, preheat a barbecue. Throw a handful of woodchips onto the coals and close the lid.
Brush the pieces of smoked trout with a little olive oil. Place the pieces diagonally on the grill and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until lightly marked by the ridges and the centre of the fish is just warm.
Spoon some of the chive dressing onto each plate and put the trout fillets on top. Garnish with the remaining chives and serve with the salads.
