Tea-Smoked Trout Salad

Try this interesting technique of cooking trout by using the smoke of sugar rice and tea. Serve with a Chinese-style fruit and vegetable salad.

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Difficulty Level: 1/5

Ingredients

• 350 g ocean trout fillet, pin-boned, skin on (you can also use salmon)
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup jasmine rice
• ¼ orange pekoe tea leaves
• Lime wedges, to serve

Salad

• 1 bunch baby pak choy, shredded
• 1 bunch radish, trimmed, sliced
• 1 green apple, cored, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, sliced into ribbons
• 2 tbsps extra-virgin oil
• 1 tbsp rice-wine vinegar
• 2 tsps soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar

Steps

01. Sprinkle trout with 1 tsp each sugar and salt. Set aside 10 mins.

02. Line wok with two layers foil. In a bowl, combine remaining sugar rice and tea. Add to wok. Cover loosely with foil and a tight ñ fitting lid. Heat on medium 8-10 mins until starting to smoke (see tip).

03. Place trout skin-side down on a small wire rack over wok. Put lid on. Smoke 12-15 mins until opaque.

04. SALAD: In a bowl, combine pak choy, radish, apple and cucumber. In a jug, whisk remaining ingredients. Season.

05. Flake trout over salad, drizzle with dressing and serve with lime wedges.

TIP: When smoking fish, be careful not to have the heat up too high as the sugar can burn. Photo: Rob Shaw/Bauer