James Moffat
Test Kitchen tip
Make sure you have a platter large enough to fit the trout and provide two sets of servers so guests on both sides of the table can help themselves.
Love the idea of a whole side of fish as a dinner party centrepiece? Try this baked salmon with tahini sauce and tabbouleh. Or our poached salmon recipe.
Ingredients
Creamy dressing
Method
1.Preheat oven to 200C. Line two large oven trays with baking paper.
2.Cut onions into 1cm thick rounds; place on one of the lined trays and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season. Roast for 35 minutes or until browned.
3.Bring stock and 1 tablespoon of the oil to the boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous and cover tightly with a lid; stand for 2 minutes or until water is absorbed. Coarsely chop half the herbs; finely grate the rind from 1 lemon. Add the chopped herbs and 2 teaspoons of the lemon rind to couscous with walnuts and cumin seeds; season. Stir through with a fork.
4.Place ocean trout, skin-side down, on second lined oven tray. Drizzle with remaining oil; season lightly. Spoon couscous mixture evenly over trout to cover. Cut both lemons in half; place on tray beside trout. Bake for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden and trout is still pink in the middle.
5.Meanwhile, to make creamy dressing, whisk ingredients in a small bowl until smooth; season to taste.
6.Just before the trout is cooked, cook both peas in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes; drain. Refresh under cold running water; drain. Place peas in a medium bowl with the remaining herbs and remaining lemon rind; toss gently to combine.
7.To serve, transfer trout to a large serving platter; top with roasted onion rings and lemon halves. Serve with pea salad and creamy dressing.
Peas can be cooked and the creamy dressing made hours ahead. Refrigerate in separate airtight containers until you’re ready to assemble. The ocean trout is best made close to serving.
Note
