26th November 2007

Vietnamese-Style Trout with Cucumber Salad

This is a nice, light dish to balance out some of the richer food you might be eating at this time of year.  You can substitute the trout for any delicate white fish you like.  Ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish, or cook whole using the stuffing in the cavity.

2 whole trout, filleted
2 cups coriander leaves, chopped
1 cup dill, chopped
15 large mint leaves, chopped
1 lime, juiced
2 spring onions, chopped
1/2 long red chilli, chopped
1 small clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon caster sugar
salad:
1/2 long cucumber, peeled, seeds scooped out and sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1/2 long red chilli, sliced

Pre-heat oven to 200C.  Mix the coriander, dill, mint, lime juice, spring onions, chilli, garlic, fish sauce and sugar in a pestle and mortar and bash until a rough paste forms.

Take half of the paste and place between trout fillets.  Loosely wrap trout in foil and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked.  The flesh should be opaque and the skin should peel off easily when cooked.

Combine remaining paste with salad ingredients and serve with fish.

Serves 2.