Smoked Trout Salad with Avocado & Grapefruit

This is a wonderfully fresh salad that is both satisfying and light at the same time. It would be a perfect meal for a luncheon or for dinner when the weather is warm. We recently enjoyed this for dinner during a recent warm spell. It was the first spring evening warm enough to eat outdoors and heralded the leisurely summer evenings to come.

Even though this is somewhat of a 'salade composee', it couldn't be easier to put together. Look for hot smoked fish at your market which is typically cooked over hickory or alder wood. It's easy to find at any well stocked gourmet market and is entirely different from the 'gravlax' style cured fish commonly thought of. It's cooked through over wood smoke as opposed to gravlax which is cured by salt and/or sugar. Serve it warm or at room temperature and treat yourself to a healthy meal with loads of good flavor.

Enjoy!

Smoked Trout Salad with Avocado & Grapefruit:

Yields 4 main course servings

1.25 # hot smoked Trout fillet (or other smoked white fish like Halibut, Black Cod, or Sturgeon)

1 small head Frisee (or curly endive), washed and torn into bite size pieces

4 small heads Belgian Endive (I used both red and green Endive), washed and cut into bite size pieces

1 large Haas Avocado, sliced into 1/4" thick slices

2 medium red Grapefruits, skin and pith removed and cut into segments

4 slices day old baguette

juice of 1/2 lemon (@ 2 TB)

1 TB Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slice the baguette into bite size pieces, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Toss together and spread out on the foil lined sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven until very light golden brown, about 8 minutes.

2) Wrap the smoked fish fillet tightly in foil. Heat in the oven until just warmed through, about 10 minutes.

3) Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt & pepper. While whisking, stream in the olive oil to emulsify. Toss the Endive & Frisee in the dressing until well coated. Transfer the greens to your serving platter.

4) On the serving platter, arrange the grapefruit, avocado, smoked trout and croutons over the bed of greens. Drizzle the top with any remaining dressing or a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with finishing salt & a quick grind of black pepper.