Thai Salad of Ocean Trout

INGREDIENTS

30g palm sugar, chopped roughly
75ml lime juice (2-3 limes)
15g fresh ginger, shredded
1 tablespoon fish sauce
100g sugar snap peas
200g fresh asparagus, sliced in three
3 tablespoons cornflour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 kg ocean trout fillets, bones removed and fatty bits trimmed away
1 small cucumber, sliced thinly
½ cup coriander leaves, washed thoroughly and stems removed
3 spring onions, sliced thinly
½ small red chili, seeds discarded and sliced thinly
½ cup roasted and lightly salted cashews

METHOD

Step 1

For the sauce place the palm sugar into a bowl with the lime juice and ginger. Let the juice sit for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, the ginger will take on a lovely pink hue. Add the fish sauce and set aside.

Step 2

Blanch the peas and asparagus in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. They should remain bright green and al-dente.

Step 3

Heat a pan to medium, dust the trout in cornflour and gently fry, skin side down, for 4 minutes. Turn and cook a further 1 minute. The trout should remain bright pink inside, so don’t overcook.

Step 4

Remove the fish and break roughly into large pieces. In a serving dish combine the vegetables, herbs, nuts and fish. Warm the sauce slightly then pour over the ingredients. Toss the salad lightly and serve.

Step 5

Katrina’s Note: This salad would be beautiful on Christmas day. It can be plated as individual entrées or set on the table as a shared dish.