Ingredients

Method

• 1 whole trout (1.2–1.4kg)
• 2 t five-spice powder
• 1 t ground coriander
• 30ml (2T) palm sugar, grated, or brown sugar
• 2 leeks, sliced into julienne strips
• 2 red peppers, sliced into julienne strips
• 150 ml coriander leaves, loosely packed
For the fennel-and-onion salad:
• 2 red onions, sliced into julienne strips
• 8 red spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 large bulbs fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 sticks celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• 150 ml orange juice
• 125 ml olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 20 ml sambal oelek

Method

Ingredients

To make the spice rub and stuffing:

Preheat the oven to 240°C.

Heat a small, lightly oiled frying pan and fry the five-spice powder and ground coriander, stirring until fragrant. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice then remove from the heat. When cool enough to handle, use your fingers to rub the spice mixture into the flesh of the trout.

Combine the leek, pepper and coriander leaves, and use to fill the cavity of the trout. Using kitchen string, tie the trout at 3cm intervals, securing the filling down the length of the fish. Heat a heavy baking tray in the oven.

Wrap the tail and head of the trout in oiled foil. Line the tray with baking paper then place the trout on it. Roast for approximately 20 minutes (a good rule of thumb is 10 minutes per 2.5cm of thickness). Allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting into slices. Remove the string before serving.

To make the fennel-and-onion salad:

Combine the onion, spring onion, fennel, celery and parsley. Whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, garlic and sambal oelek.

Pour over the salad and toss gently to combine.

To serve: Remove the string from the trout and serve on a bed of fennel-and-onion salad.