HAPPY FATHER'S DAY Old Trout

JML

My father is in Heaven and the boy's father is in the West Indies, so fathers were a bit thin on the ground here today, but that didn't stop us from celebrating and having a good slap up meal in honour of father's anyway.

Instead of our usual Sunday roast, we were lucky to have freshly caught trout this week. Our fish come from the Cathedral Peak area of the Drakensberg, virtually down the road from us. Trout fishing is really big around here and since we must be similar in climate to the Scottish Highlands, it's no surprise that our trout originally come from Loch Leven and seem to have thrived here. I even recognise some of the spots mentioned in Hedley Salmon's (sic) Trout Fishing in Natal published in 1909, below - some of which I can see from my bedroom window.

Trout Fishing in Natal by Hedley Salmon, 1909 (click to enlarge)

Mooi River from 1 Rose Lane

I also wanted to do something a bit different plus I like any recipe where I can incorporate as many local ingredients as possible. Jamie Oliver's trout with yoghurt and beetroot was just the ticket. I used my summer-bottled beetroot, Gourmet Greek's sublime Greek yoghurt, Howick-grown micro mustard greens (which looked suspiciously like cress) and lovely fat Peak Trout. I fiddled around a bit with the recipe dropping a few ingredients (such as the balsamic vinegar which I'm not too keen on) but otherwise remained fairly faithful. I particularly liked the smashed up olivey-oiled boiled potatoes with the fish. Our gardener Tulani said it tasted like 'good fish and chips'!

You can also see that I tried very hard to get my photo to look just like Jamie's but to no avail. Anyway it's not what it looks like (lier lier) but how it tastes.

Luckily the 9 year old has declared his 100% passion for fishing and has asked for a fishing rod for his birthday (along with a Mini iPad and a few other things). I think he'll be getting the rod. The river's just down the end of the drive, William - thanks.

JML

Rainbow Trout with horseradish yoghurt and beetroot

400g new potatoes
4 biggish trout
2 heaped tbsp greek yoghurt
1 heaped tsp horseradish
4 sliced beetroots
big handful of cress or watercress
Olive oil
Butter
Salt & pepper

Method:

1. Boil potatoes until just soft and peel off skins. Smash and brown in olive oil. Set aside
2. Fillet and pin-bone fish. Fry, skin side down for about 3 minutes or until done. Try and get skin brown and crispy. 
3. Mix up the yoghurt and horseradish and season well.
4. Pile up the potatoes, the trout, the beetroot with a dollop of horseradish yoghurt and then a nest of cress on top.
5. Season to taste

This one's for you, TWD. We'll make it again in about 6 weeks. xx