Any written history of trout fishing or cuisine always grabs my attention. One such piece of history connecting those passions involved the contract the Italian company Codelfa Cogefar had in New Zealand working on the Tongariro Project from 1967.

Much of this energy driven work was, and still is, controversial, but fortunately the area did remain a Mecca to trout fishers.

Many of those 350 skilled Italian tunnellers stayed on, settled here, and some with culinary skills were able to put these to good use in a country somewhat underdone in an identified cooking culture at the time. Today of course we take for granted the diverse selection of cuisines available to us, nice though to be able to connect to when and where some of our culinary history started to evolve.

This recipe is a taste of Italy, a version for the barbecue season, a trout recipe I am sure would
have been put together in some form by those tunnellers working far from their homes during changing times in New Zealand during the late sixties.

Ingredients

2 Trout fillets filleted and pin boned
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Salad
1 tbsp. capers
1 romaine or cos lettuce, cut across into wide pieces
A few rocket leaves
1 red, green and yellow capsicum diced
1 telegraph cucumber diced
1 small red onion finely sliced
2 large ripe tomatoes cut into wedges or squares.
¼ cup fresh basil chopped

Croutons
1/2 a loaf of ciabatta
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp. virgin olive oil

Red wine Honey Mustard dressing
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1tsp.whole grain mustard
1 good tsp. liquid honey
½ cup virgin olive oil
A pinch of salt and white pepper to season

Method

Croutons; Cut the bread into croutons, crush the garlic, add to the oil and toss through the bread. Bake in oven set at 160˚c until crisp. Alternatively cook in a pan over a low heat tossing until crisp.

Dressing; Whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard and honey, gradually add oil then season to taste, this dressing will keep several days.

Salad; Have all of the salad ingredient prepared in a cool place.

To Serve; Season and brush the trout fillets with olive oil, grill on your pre heated barbecue until just cooked through. Meanwhile toss all of the salad ingredients together, add the croutons and a tablespoon or two of dressing. Place onto a platter or individual plates.

Break the trout into pieces and place onto the salad. Drizzle over a little more dressing, tear the basil leaves, sprinkle on top, and in keeping with Italian tradition, grind over some black pepper.

Buon appetito.