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Poached Trout with Green Herb Salsa |
½ onion, sliced
1 leek, trimmed and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 small bunch of fresh parsley
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
Salt, to taste
4 (about 1 pound) rainbow or salmon trout, ready to cook, or 1 (3-4 lb) piece of salmon, tail end if possible.
Cucumber slices
Lemon slices
Lettuce leaves
2 cups Salsa Verde
Place the onion, leek, carrot, parsley, and peppercorns in a saucepan large enough to hold the fish. Add water to cover the vegetables by 2 inches. Season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add the fish, and simmer over low heat until the fish just begins to flake. For every 1 inch of thickness, measured at the thickest point, allow 10 minutes of cooking time.
Carefully transfer the cooked fish to a rack and let cool to lukewarm. Peel off the skin, and arrange the fish on a decorative platter. Garnish with cucumber, lemon slices, and lettuce. Serve the Salsa Verde on the side.
Green Herb Salsa
½ cup finely chopped Spanish or Vidalia onion
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup finely minced fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup finely minced fresh parsley leaves
4 fresh celery leaves, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ Serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped, or 1 tablespoon ground fresh chile paste, such as the sambal oelek or Moroccan harissa sauce, or to taste
6 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as safflower or corn
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
¼ cup warm water
Place the onion and sugar in a bowl and cover with cold water; soak 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse briefly under cold running water. Shake well.
Combine the onion with all the remaining ingredients in a serving bowl. Taste for seasonings, and adjust as need; this vinaigrette should be brimming with flavor. Refrigerate until ready to serve or up to 1 week.
Concha y Toro wishes to thank Ruth Van Waerebeek-Gonzalez for the recipe, an excerpt from her book, The Chilean Kitchen.