Ocean trout with watermelon, jalapeño and lime

SERVES 4

Lime, honey and a good pinch of salt give the watermelon here a sweet, sour and salty flavour, making this a refreshing summer salad to serve with just-warm roast trout. The fish is also great cooked ahead, chilled and flaked over the salad.

100 gm daikon, cut into batons 4 small (150gm each) ocean trout fillets, halved

½ tsp each dry-roasted coriander seeds and fennel seeds (see cook’s notes p152), finely ground with a mortar and pestle 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve 800 gm seedless watermelon, cut into small wedges, about 2cm-thick

Seeds from ½ pomegranate ½ small white onion,

thinly sliced ½ cup (loosely packed)

coriander

½ cup (loosely packed) mint Purple basil, radish cress and edible flowers (optional), to garnish JALAPEÑO-LIME DRESSING 200 ml lime juice (from about

4-5 juicy limes), or to taste 80 gm mild blossom honey,

or to taste

1-2 jalapeños, thinly sliced,

or to taste 1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Place daikon in 400ml iced water in a bowl with 1 tsp salt and stand until needed; the salted water will balance the bitterness and keep the daikon crisp.

2 Season trout with ground spices and sea salt flakes. Heat oil in a large non-stick ovenproof frying pan over high heat, add trout, flesh-side down, and fry for 1 minute. Transfer pan to oven and roast until cooked to your liking (3 minutes for medium). Transfer fish to a plate to cool and remove and discard skin.

3 For dressing, whisk lime juice and honey in a bowl to combine, season to taste and add jalapeño.

4 Drain daikon and toss gently with watermelon, pomegranate, onion and herbs. Serve with trout, drizzled with jalapeñolime dressing and scattered with basil, cress and flowers.