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Steamed coral trout tail with almonds, pomegranate and prunes

Name: Steamed coral trout tail with almonds, pomegranate and prunes
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tail of a large (2.25kg) coral trout (or a whole small fish); 160ml lemon oil (from gourmet food stores and good delis – substitute olive oil with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice); 2 tbs blanched almonds, roughly chopped; Seeds and juice of 1 small pomegranate; 8 pitted prunes; 2 tbs verjuice or sherry vinegar; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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by Anthony Huckstep

National restaurant reviewer

Oct 08, 2018

This is an extract from the Australian Fish & Seafood Cookbook by John Susman, Anthony Huckstep, Sarah Swan and Stephen Hodges (Murdoch Books, RRP $79.99). Available in bookshops now.

1 tail of a large (2.25kg) coral trout (or a whole small fish)
160ml lemon oil (from gourmet food stores and good delis – substitute olive oil with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice)
2 tbs blanched almonds, roughly chopped
Seeds and juice of 1 small pomegranate
8 pitted prunes
2 tbs verjuice or sherry vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2.

Score the trout well, with slashes a thumb-width apart down the length of the fish (this will ensure even cooking).
3.

Place the fish of a wire rack in a flameproof roasting pan. Add about ⅓ cup (80ml) water and cover pan securely with foil. Place over a very low heat and bring to a gentle simmer, then immediately transfer the pan to the oven.
4.

A 1.2kg tail will take about 15 minutes to cook, followed by a further 15 minutes resting time out of the oven. If cooking a whole fish or larger piece up to 2kg, expect 25 minutes of cooking time with 10 minutes of resting time. A 200g fillet will take 10 minutes to cook, with 4 minutes of resting time.
5.

While the fish is cooking, make a simple vinaigrette by gently heating the lemon oil in a small saucepan over low heat for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the oil to a medium mixing bowl. Toss in the almonds, pomegranate seeds and juice, prunes and verjuice. Season with a little salt and pepper, and toss well to combine. Set aside in a warm spot.
6.

When fish has rested, transfer it carefully to a platter and top generously with the vinaigrette.