Simple, quick and delicious, the flavour of the ocean trout works so well with the luscious, smoky eggplant, and the mint and walnut salad adds a nutty freshness.
2 large eggplants
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 tbsp tahini
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Juice of ½ lemon
2½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Six ocean trout escalopes cut on an angle, about 150g each
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
100g walnuts, toasted and chopped
75g frozen peas
6 mint sprigs, leaves picked and shredded
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Juice of ½ lemon
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
This also works perfectly with salmon.
1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
2. Turn your largest burner on high - if you have induction use a griddle plate - and rest your eggplants directly on the flames, rotating every three minutes until all sides are blackened. It should take about nine minutes. If you have no direct flame or griddle plate, you can prick the eggplants and roast them in the oven for 45 minutes, which will give you the desired consistency but not the smoky flavour.
3. Place the eggplants on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Cut each eggplant down the middle and scoop out the soft flesh, leaving the black shell behind. Chop the flesh to make a chunky paste, put into a bowl and season. Mix in the yoghurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and half the oil.
5. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl to marinate while you cook the trout.
6. Season and cover the ocean trout escalopes well with the remaining oil.
7. Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over high heat for four minutes, place the trout on it and sear for one minute. Turn and sear on the other side for another minute.
8. Put the trout on a serving plate, spoon on some eggplant and scatter over the minted walnut salad.
Recipe from Everyday by Karen Martini, published by Plum; RRP $39.99.
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