Smoked Trout Fennel and Orange Salad

I really like the combination of flavours, textures and colours in this simple, elegant salad. Blood oranges, radishes and fennel are in plentiful supply at present so make the most of them. You can play around with it, substituting hot-smoked salmon for the smoked trout, and navel oranges for the blood oranges – perhaps try natural yogurt for the Dressing instead of mayonnaise. You’ll need an extra orange to squeeze for juice.

Inroduction

About this Recipe

By: Sheridan Rogers

I really like the combination of flavours, textures and colours in this simple, elegant salad. Blood oranges, radishes and fennel are in plentiful supply at present so make the most of them. You can play around with it, substituting hot-smoked salmon for the smoked trout, and navel oranges for the blood oranges – perhaps try natural yogurt for the Dressing instead of mayonnaise. You’ll need an extra orange to squeeze for juice.

Ingredients

  • fennel bulb 2 medium, about 400g (or 4 baby fennel)
  • radishes 4, washed
  • smoked trout 250g -300g
  • blood oranges 4 medium small, peeled with all pith removed and sliced finely
  • mixed baby green leaves 4 handfuls, washed and dried
Poppy Seed Dressing
  • mayonnaise (I used Kewpie mayo) 1/2 cup
  • fresh orange juice (preferably blood orange) 1 -2 tablespoons
  • garlic 1 clove, crushed
  • lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons
  • poppy seeds 2 -3 teaspoons
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Wash the fennel and slice it very finely – a mandoline is useful for this.  Finely slice the radishes.  Flake the smoked trout. Peel 4 of the oranges being careful to remove all the white pith (which is bitter), then slice into circles.  Lay the slices out in a circle, allowing one orange per plate.  Top with the sliced fennel, radishes and flaked smoked trout being careful to divide them evenly. Scatter the mixed green leaves around. Just before serving, drizzle  the Poppy Seed Dressing over the salads – or serve it separately. To make the Dressing: mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl or shake together in a jar – it should be fairly liquid so use your judgement re the amount of orange juice required and add more white balsamic vinegar or lemon juice for sharpness. Season to taste.