RECIPE | Roast potato, trout and fennel salad

Serves: 4 - 6 as a light meal

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes (plus cooling)

Ingredients:

1kg potatoes for roasting, cut into wedges

25ml olive oil 

Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve

1 cup (loosely packed) frisee lettuce - or lettuce of choice

1 baby fennel bulb, thinly shaved on a mandolin, fronds reserved

¾ cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

400g skinless trout or salmon fillet (or use pickled herring, mackerel or smoked snoek)

Dressing:

10ml (2 tsp) fennel seeds

30ml (2 tbsp) white/rice vinegar

15ml (1 tbsp) water

5ml (1 tsp) sugar

1 small onion, very finely sliced

Juice of 1 small lemon

10ml (2 tsp) Dijon mustard

50ml olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Combine the potatoes, olive oil and lemon rind in a large bowl, season to taste, spread in a roasting pan lined with baking paper and roast, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden and very tender (40-45 minutes). Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the lettuce, fennel, reserved fennel fronds and parsley and set side.
4. For the dressing, dry-roast the fennel seeds until fragrant for 30 seconds, coarsely crush with a mortar and pestle, then transfer to a bowl.
5. Add the vinegar, water, sugar and onion to the crushed fennel seeds. Whisk in the lemon juice and mustard, then whisk in the olive oil to combine and season to taste.
6. Add the dressing and the trout to the potato mixture, toss to combine and serve with lemon wedges. - Aremedia.com.au/Magazinefeatures.co.za