Rainbow Trout with Preserved Lemon and Herb Dressing

I cooked this recipe at Helm winery, one of the first commercial wineries in the Canberra District Wine Region. My good friend, Ken Helm, took me fly fishing for Rainbow trout for which I devised this simple but beautiful recipe.

Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients:
2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1 cm ribbons
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed
2 x 200g fillets rainbow trout, skin on
1 tablespoon flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (20ml) olive oil
1 tablespoon (20g) butter

Preserved Lemon and Herb dressing:
½ lemon, juiced
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
¼ preserved lemon, flesh discarded and rind finely chopped
2 tablespoons tarragon leaves, shredded

1. For preserved lemon and herb dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a cast iron grill over medium heat.  Cook zucchini and asparagus (in batches if necessary), brushing frequently with preserved lemon and herb dressing until charred and tender.  Reserve remaining dressing.
3. Meanwhile, coat the trout skin side only with flour seasoned with salt and pepper.  Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, add trout, floured skin side down, and cook for a couple of minutes or until beginning to brown. Cover with lid and cook for another couple of minutes, or until fish is opaque and cooked through.
4. Serve trout on a bed of vegetables, drizzled with reserved dressing.

Lyndey’s Note: Sprinkling the skin side of the trout with flour prior to cooking is a great way to ensure crisp skin. Covering with a lid avoids having to turn the fish as it steams through.
Wine match: The flavours here are light and delicate and the citrus flavours in the dressing match superbly with the lemony notes in a riesling.

This recipe comes from the TV series (and now cookbook), Lyndey Milan’s Taste of Australia. Buy your copy of the accompanying cookbook to the TV series online by clicking here!