Hot-smoked Petuna Ocean Trout with pickled Lombardi peppers and black garlic bread

Prep time 25 mins, cook 45 mins (plus marinating, resting)

Serves 10 as entrée 10 pickled Lombardi peppers, or other small pickled chilli 1 bunch rocket

2 lemons, peeled and cut into chunks

Extra-virgin olive oil Hot-smoked Petuna Ocean Trout 1 kg piece of Petuna Ocean Trout, skin on, pin bones removed, trimmed to an even rectangle Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing Black garlic bread 250 gm softened butter

½ bulb black garlic, cloves crushed

1½ garlic cloves, crushed

¼ tsp squid ink (see note)

1 tbsp chopped herbs, such as parsley, chives, tarragon ½ small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

Finely grated rind of ¼ lemon

1½ tsp white wine vinegar

1 sourdough loaf, thickly sliced Pine nut-herb topping 50 gm roasted pine nuts, coarsely chopped ½ cup finely chopped parsley and mint

6 basil leaves, finely chopped

1 small Spanish onion, very finely diced

2 long red chilli, seeded and very finely diced

Finely grated rind of ½ lemon

60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil Yoghurt-garlic dressing 75 gm natural yoghurt 2 tsp tahini, well stirred 2 roasted garlic cloves Juice of ½ lemon

1 For smoked ocean trout, brush the fish with the oil and season with salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2 Preheat oven to 100C. Line a flameproof roasting pan with foil and place a wire rack on top. Add woodchips (see note) and place over medium heat until smoking (not too much or ocean trout will become acrid.) Cover pan tightly with several layers of foil. Once pan is fairly full of smoke, slide fish onto the rack, cover tightly, remove from heat and smoke for about 10 minutes. Remove ocean trout, cool, then wrap in baking paper and place skin-side down in an oven tray. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn and cook a further 12 minutes (for medium-rare). Remove from oven, rest in tray for 10 minutes, then unwrap, peel off skin and gently scrape away the grey blood line. Keep warm.

3 For garlic bread, increase oven to 190C. Mix ingredients except bread in a bowl. Spread bread with the butter, then sandwich slices together. Wrap each sandwich in foil and bake on an oven tray, turning once, until butter is melted and bread turns golden on the edges (10-15 minutes). Keep warm in foil until ready to serve.

4 For topping, combine ingredients in a bowl.

5 For dressing, combine ingredients and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper in a bowl.

6 Gently spread the dressing on the ocean trout, then press herb topping evenly over and transfer to a serving plate. Top with pickled peppers, rocket and lemon, drizzle with olive oil and serve with black garlic bread.

Note Squid ink is available from fishmongers and select delicatessens. Woodchips are sold at barbecue shops.

“This is a great dish for entertaining and a great entry into the world of smoking fish. It’s a riff on a feasting-menu option at Icebergs and makes a perfect seaside lunch.”