Smoked ocean trout with beans, peas and mint

SERVES 6-8 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 25 MINS (PLUS STANDING)

Home-smoked fish is a fine thing and surprisingly simple. We love it warm from the smoker, but it can be can be done a day ahead. The sweetness of the pea and bean salad offsets the smokiness of the fish beautifully. 400 gm beans, trimmed (we used a mix of green and yellow beans)

250 gm sugar snap peas, trimmed

10 zucchini flowers, trimmed, stamens removed

1 cup (loosely packed) watercress sprigs

½ cup mint

3 cups (200gm) smoking wood chips, such as apple or peach 200 gm (1 cup) rice (it doesn’t matter what sort)

Thinly peeled rind of 1 orange

1 side ocean trout, skin-on, pin-boned (about 1kg) 1½ tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp sweet paprika

Lemon wedges, to serve

BUTTERMILK DRESSING

120 ml buttermilk

60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste 1 tbsp white wine vinegar ½ small garlic clove, very finely chopped

1 Blanch beans and sugar snap peas until bright green and just tender (2-3 minutes; see cook’s notes p190). Drain, refresh, drain well and transfer to a bowl. Tear zucchini flowers into bite-sized pieces, thinly slice the stalks and add both to the beans and peas. Add watercress and mint, cover and refrigerate until required.

2 For buttermilk dressing, shake ingredients in a jar to combine, season to taste and refrigerate until required. Dressing will keep for up to 5 days; brighten it up with a little squeeze of lemon just before serving.

3 Double-line a large deep flameproof roasting pan with foil, then add wood chips, rice and orange rind and mix to combine. Place a lightly oiled wire rack in the pan, ensuring it doesn’t touch the smoking mixture and place over high heat until beginning to smoke. Rub flesh of trout with brown sugar and paprika, season to taste and place trout skin-side down on wire rack. Cover tightly with foil, reduce heat to low and leave to smoke for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stand covered for 10 minutes or until just cooked through.

4 Scatter trout with bean mixture, drizzle with dressing and serve with lemon wedges. Wine suggestion Rich, ripe pinot gris.