Wow! Hasn’t the weather turned in Perth? I was getting pretty sick of the constant 35+ degree days but when we had a dip in temperature last week and some rain, it made me a little sad to think that summer has finally ended. Barbecues will now be few and far between since a downpour can be reasonably expected to happen. I think we had more rain overnight than for all of January and February!
With the cool-down comes a change in eating and cooking habits which I must admit I’m glad for. Summer salads and grills are great but I do like being able to throw a stew together in the slow cooker or make hearty soups in the Thermomix which can be served up ‘soup’er quickly. Winter is definitely a time for fuss free cooking and given how hectic 2014 has been so far, quick and easy will be my theme for a while.
So for another recipe to contribute to the Huon Bloggers Challenge (#huonsalmon), I decided to make one that would give any of Jamie’s 15-Minute meals a run for their money: Creamy Smoked Ocean Trout Pasta. It’s my go-to recipe for whenever my hubby wants a cream based pasta. I add different ingredients according to his whim, but on this occasion, Huon’s Hot Smoked Ocean Trout was screaming out to be smothered in a creamy sauce.
I am not super health conscious but if there’s a way to reduce fat or sugar and not at the expense of good taste and texture, then you can bet I’ll find it. For creamy dishes, I don’t go past Bulla’s light cooking cream. It’s brilliant stuff! Of course, you can use regular full-fat cream if going light is not a concern. I use either depending on what I have on hand sometimes and I’d be hard pressed to pick which gives a creamier result.
This dish is all about the smoked ocean trout so I don’t think there’s any need to add vegetables to the equation but a bit of asparagus would add some fresh colour and flavour so by all mean, please do :) I had some lovely leftover salmon roe (I used most for my Chirashi Zushi) to finish the dish off, which imparted little bursts of saltiness.
I’ve always been a fan of smoked salmon but I think I’ll consider using smoked ocean trout in place more often. Just delicious!
- good splash of olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced or chopped finely
- ½ medium brown onion, sliced or diced thinly
- ⅓ cup white wine (stock can be used if preferred)
- ½ cup cream or Bulla's Light Cooking Cream
- 50-80g of Huon's Hot Smoked Ocean Trout
- salt and pepper to taste
- chives or parsley, and salmon roe to garnish if desired
- enough pasta of choice for two to three serves
- Heat up a medium frypan on low/medium heat. Place garlic and onion in pan and sautee until onion is softened slightly and translucent.
- Add wine and deglaze pan, bringing to a low simmer. Prepare pasta as required at this point, if serving immediately
- Add cream to frypan and bring to a simmer until cream starts to bubble.
- Add trout and gently stir through sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Set aside.
- Drain pasta and place into frypan, stirring through sauce well.
- Serve pasta and ladle over with extra sauce. Garnish if desired.