Spicy coral trout with pickled green salad

Ingredients

• 2 coral trout fillets (400 g each)

For the chilli sauce 

• 250 g long red chillies, roughly chopped
• 150 ml apple cider vinegar
• 30 ml olive oil
• ½ tsp sugar, to taste
• sea salt flakes, to taste

For the salad 

• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp caster sugar, to taste
• 2 baby cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
• ¼ cup mint leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan-forced. To make the chilli sauce, heat the chillies and apple cider vinegar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate for one week to ferment.

2. Strain the fermented chillies through a sieve placed over a jug, reserving the pickling liquid. Add to a high-speed blender with the oil, sugar and a generous pinch of sea salt flakes. Process until a smooth paste, then add 1 tbsp of the pickling liquid and blend again. Season to taste with salt.

3. Place the fish fillets on a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with the fermented chilli sauce. Roast for 12-20 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily (this will depend on the size of your fillets). Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine the lime juice, fish sauce and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Add sugar to your taste. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, fennel, apple and mint leaves. Pour over the dressing and leave to pickle.

5. Transfer the spicy coral trout to a serving platter and serve with the pickled salad and extra chilli sauce.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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