Food

Creamy Smoked Ocean Trout Pasta

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!

Creamy Smoked Ocean Trout Pasta

Prep time: 3 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 13 mins

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

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

Instructions

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.