Food
Smoked Trout
Preparation time
15 mins + 6 hrs marinating
Cooking time
45 mins
Serves
4
The illustrious Yarra Valley region's reutation for high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is expressed in immaculate style with the Coombe Farm Estate Sparkling. This rich sparkling wine finds a superb match with chef Neil Cunningham's dish, where its creamy, yeasty complexity sublimely balances out the smokiness of the trout, while ripe fruit flavours complement the herbaceous qualities of the horseradish garnish.
Ingredients
1 trout, cleaned
4 quail eggs
100ml cream
7g horseradish, finely grated
10g trout caviar
Micro red sorrel leaves to garnish
Radish, finely sliced to garnish
Cure
50g sugar
50g salt
2 lemons, zested
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
20g fennel seeds
10g black pepper
Method
1. For cure: mix all of the ingredients together and cover the trout top to bottom. Leave to marinate for six hours
in the refrigerator.
2. Cook quail eggs in boiling water for 90 seconds, refresh in iced water and peel.
3. Whisk cream until thick, add horseradish, put to one side.
4. Rinse trout and pat dry. Place trout in smoker set to 55ºC and smoke for 45 minutes. Take out and rest for 10 minutes. Pick flesh off the bone and set aside.
5. To plate: put a large spoonful of horseradish cream in the centre of the plate, and place smoked trout on top. Add quail egg and a good spoonful of trout caviar. Garnish with red sorrel leaves and radish.
If you do not have a smoker: Line a pan with foil, add smoking chips. Place a second layer of foil over chips. Place a rack or steaming basket on top of foil and place trout on the insert. Cover tightly with foil and a lid so smoke does not escape. Heat pan on a medium-high heat until smoking. Lower heat and smoke for 20 minutes. Turn off and let pot sit for 5 minutes.
Wine Match: Coombe Farm Estate Sparkling