BUTTERMILK WAFFLES WITH CURED OCEAN TROUT AND FENNEL SALAD
Prep time overnight Cooking time 45 mins Serves 4
CURED OCEAN TROUT
120g caster sugar
80g sea salt flakes
40ml non alcoholic white wine
½ cup coarsely chopped dill
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 800g piece of ocean trout, skin on, pin-boned
BUTTERMILK WAFFLES
270g plain flour
2 tbsp each finely chopped dill and chives Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
440ml buttermilk, well shaken
2 eggs
100g butter, melted and cooled
FENNEL SALAD 250g celeriac, julienned (keep in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon/lime juice) 1 baby fennel bulb, thinly sliced on a mandolin, kept in lemon water, fronds reserved
¼ cup coarsely torn flat-leaf parsley 1 shallot, thinly sliced
1½ tbsp buttermilk
1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp each white grape vinegar and lemon juice, or to taste
TO SERVE Salmon roe (optional)
For trout, combine sugar, salt, wine, dill, rind and juice in a bowl and mix well to combine. Spread half the salt mixture in a container large enough to hold trout snugly. Place trout on top, then spread with remaining mixture, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to cure (overnight). Remove from salt mixture, brush off excess, pat dry and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until required. Cured trout will keep refrigerated for 5 days. Slice thinly off the skin just before serving.
For buttermilk waffles, combine flour, herbs, rind, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp sea salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Whisk buttermilk, eggs and melted butter in a separate bowl to combine, add to well in dry ingredients, mix to combine, then set aside to rest, 30 mins. Preheat a waffle iron and cook batter in batches, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until golden and crisp, 4-5 mins, and keep warm.
For fennel salad, drain celeriac and fennel and combine with parsley and shallot in a bowl. Whisk remaining ingredients in a separate bowl to combine, season to taste, drizzle over fennel mixture and toss to coat. To serve, pile slices of ocean trout on warm buttermilk waffles, top with fennel salad and roe and serve.