In the midst of Winter, thinking about what to serve as an entree fish dish is some times a bit of a nightmare. When I think of nightmares in winter my mind is drawn to San Fransisco; a place full of foggy hills and drug addiction and also home to Chez Panisse. This is our interpretation of a dish from the first Chez Panisse cookbook, where Alice Waters uses tuna we think that the more ethical decision is to use a farmed fish and so are using ocean trout. At the bistro we have found a wonderful agro dolce style vinegar made from Chardonnay grapes grown in the Southern Tablelands of NSW.
The recipe is very simple
fillet and pin bone whole ocean trout
1/2 cup of fennel seeds toasted
1/2 cup of coriander seeds
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup sea salt flakes
20 each of both dill and parsley stalks
2 lemons zested
rub the above mix into the flesh of the ocean trout
place in baking tray skin side down
cover with herb stalks and fill the tray with olive oil
cook for 1 hour at 70 degrees
allow to cool in oil and then flake from skin
dress thin ribbons of cucumber with agro dolce vinegar dill and salad burnett leaves