Spring Zing - Rainbow Trout

During the week we visited the fishmonger, with the intention of choosing some nice fillets of something or other to cook on the BBQ that night. Looking at all the different fish they had for sale, the one that really stood out were beautiful, glossy and super fresh rainbow trout. I couldn't go past how great they looked and decided to ditch the fillet idea and bought two of them, one for each of us to have whole. The fish were about 30cm long. They were scaled and cleaned by the fishmonger to make the prep work at home easy. Rainbow Trout has such delicious pink and flavoursome flesh, similar to Salmon and they are ideal for cooking on the BBQ.

Spring is well and truly in the air, so I also bought some new season potatoes and red radishes, and built my accompaniments around them. I wanted a dish that was simple and vibrant, so good fresh ingredients were important. I also added some green herbs, a touch of fennel and plenty of fresh lemon. Very zingy flavours and very spring!

Starting with fresh, in season ingredients

To prepare the fish, I just patted them dry inside and out, and the filled the cavity with sliced red onion, dill, lemon, garlic and fennel. I seasoned the inside with Kampot pepper (fabulous super aromatic black pepper that comes from Cambodia - if you don't have Kampot pepper, normal black pepper is fine) and a little sea salt. To ensure that the flavourings stayed put, I tied each of the fish up with cooking string. The fish were then brushed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked on the BBQ with the lid on for about 25 minutes. I didn't turn the fish during the cooking process.

Preparing the trout for cooking

While the fish was cooking, I finely sliced cucumber, red onion and radishes and mixed them with a generous handful of parsley and a touch of fresh dill to make a simple, crunch salad. The dressing was simply a drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and some salt and pepper to season. To finish the accompaniments, I just boiled a few baby Chat potatoes and then tossed them in a little butter and a sprinkling of the fresh dill to finish.

Rainbow Trout with fennel and lemon

served with a crisp radish salad and new potatoes

Once the fish were cooked, they were carefully removed from the BBQ, placed on a bed of the crisp radish salad and served with the potatoes and some extra fresh lemon. Delicious. You could also cook this dish in the oven if you don't have a BBQ with a lid - I would do it in a medium to hot oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.

This dish was so simple to throw together and would be a great no fuss spring/summer entertaining idea. Keeping the fish whole really ramps up the flavour and it looks great on the plate - it also makes preparation hassle free. If you aren't familiar with Rainbow Trout, give them a go - they are pretty inexpensive and should be available from most fishmongers at the moment.

In Gourmet Goddess gardening news, I have just planted a whole lot of tomatoes and peppers (the long "bullhorn" kind) that I hope will thrive over the coming months so that we can eat them in the summer. There are also new herbs - two kinds of basil (green basil and the vibrant opal basil, with bright purple leaves) thyme, continental parsley, mint. I have spinach and beetroot (the last of the current harvest which I will pick very soon) as well as carrots, lettuce and lemongrass. In the last week, the nasturtiums have gone crazy - I think I will have plenty to use in salads over spring. The garden is also starting to show colour - masses of pansies in purple and crimson and yellow and the jasmine that I planted a year ago is flowering too. I plan to add a few more spring plants and herbs over the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to plenty of time in the garden to enjoy it all as the plants all wake up from winter hiberbnation.

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Exotic and Aromatic

Okra is one of those ingredients that doesn't seem to pop up on Australian menus very often. Lots of people seem a bit nervous about how to prepare this exotic looking vegetable, however it is eaten all over the world. You will find it in all kinds of cuisines - particularly in Africa, South America and the Carribean. Okra is actually related to the hibiscus flower, growing in particularly well in in hot climates. I really love the slightly herbaceous flavour and the soft, yeilding texture of the okra pods and they really soak up any spice or flavouring that you cook with them.

One of my favourite ways to serve okra is with a heavily aromatic mixture of spices and minced beef. The dish packs a huge flavour punch and is beautiful served with nutty brown rice. Now is the perfect time to cook okra, as it is in season and easy to find. Choose pods that are bright green and firm - smaller pods will be more tender than the larger ones, so I tend to go for the smaller size.

The generous use of spices in this dish marry so beautifully with the okra, and the result is a delicious exotic but super easy dish to prepare. If you have never tried okra before, this could be a nice introduction.....

Aromatic Beef with Okra

You will need: 300g minced beef, about 10 pieces of okra, 1 red onion, 1/2 red capsicum, 1 medium zucchini, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 cup beef stock, 3 cloves garlic finely chopped, 1 red chilli finely chopped, 1 tin diced tomatoes (choose a good quality Italian brand), a handful of fresh dill, 2 teaspoons cumin powder, 2 teaspoons coriander powder, 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Slice the okra diagonally, so that each piece becomes two pieces. In a bowl, combine the okra with the vinegar and a few pinces of salt. Mix it through well with your hands and then set the okra aside.

Chop the red onion, zucchini and capsicum into small cubes. Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan and add the onion. Cook on a moderate heat until it begins to soften. Add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, chilli and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until the aroma starts to release.

Add the minced beef and cook very thoroughly until it is browned. Drain the vinegar from the okra. Add the okra, zucchini and capsicum to the pan, combine and cook for another few minutes. Finally, add the tomatoes and the beef stock. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Also feel free to ramp up the chilli for an extra spicy version.

Just before serving, stir through the fresh dill. Serve with rice (I prefer brown rice for this, it has a great nutty flavour)

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