The spices on this side of rainbow trout are so delicious and warming. The perfect flavours to accompany the yoghurt sauce that’s basically a salad. You could use any small – medium sized fish filleted in this style, or a tail of salmon would be ideal too.

What to serve this dish with? Some oven baked wedges would be delicious. As would brown rice or quinoa. Flat bread to swipe though that sauce would also be yummy. I usually steam some green beans and add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to season them, and serve this on the side. But any green, leafy or legume, would be great!

This dish is also at home as part of a shared feast. Or as an entree, with the before-mentioned flatbread, for a larger group. It’s super easy to make but you look super fancy serving it. Like you’ve been all creative in the kitchen!

Baking the fish is an easy, non-messy cooking option. It also results in tender just cooked fish as long as you eep an eye on it! It also means that your whole house won’t end up smelling like fish, which is a bonus if the people you live with hate the smell of oily fish cooking (hey Nick).

Oh and the sauce! The sauce is so chunky and full of delicious things it’s basically a meal in itself. It’s all texture and brightness and bite thanks t the mustards and the pickles. And super crunchy too. This is all about contrasting textures and the coolness of the yoghurt with the heavily spiced fish.

You could replace the sumac with paprika if you cant find any. Sumac is lemony in flavour though so I would suggest you sprinkle with lemon zest before serving and increase the lemon flavour in the sauce if your doing that.

Aaaaand, if you’re not into eating fish skin (it’s so good for you! eat just a little!) then you can most definitely peel it off before serving. Don’t waste it though – rinse any spices off it and give it to your cat or dog. Is this a ridiculous thing to suggest? Whatever, my cat Chino will climb up my leg to try and get at fish skin. And who am I to deny him what’s so good for him?

Serves 2

Ingredients

400g fillet rainbow trout

Dry Rub

1 tsp sumac

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp rock salt

Yoghurt Sauce

2/3 cup greek yoghurt

1 lebanese cucmber, in 1cm dice

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/4 cup finely chopped pickles

1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped

1/4 cup flatleaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 Tbs pickle juice

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsps lemon juice (serve any remaining lemon on the side)

salt and pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

Directions

Preheat oven to 190 C (fan forced). Line a tray with baking paper.

Make the dry rub by placing the fennel seeds, chilli flakes and salt in a mortar and pestle and crushing until the fennel seeds are broken up. Combine with remaining spices.

Place the rainbow trout fillet skin side down on the tray. Rub the spices into the top of the fillet creating an even layer, as pictured. Drizzle with a little oil and place in the preheated oven to bake for 12 minutes. Or until just cooked through.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Spread on the base of your serving plate and drizzle in oil. Place the trout fillet on top and serve with any remaining lemon.

HH. x