With smoked trout, fennel, radish and labne, this salad is a burst of flavour

This salad is my go-to when I’m looking for something light, fresh, and easy to prepare.

Smoked trout salad from Last Minute Brunch Party by Amelia Wasiliev. Photography by Lisa Linder. Out March 18.

Amelia Wasiliev

less than 2 min read

12:58PMFebruary 18, 2025

The Weekend Australian Magazine

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This salad is my go-to when I’m looking for something light, fresh, and easy to prepare, and it’s perfect for brunch in the garden on a spring morning. If you can’t find smoked trout, you can use smoked salmon or any other flaky smoked fish. Add extra greens and a variety of fresh herbs if you have them, and you can also add soft-boiled eggs to the top, yum!

Try too my shakshuka and herby fig salad.

This trout salad is a beautiful combination of flavours. Photography by Lisa Linder

This is an edited extract from Last Minute Brunch Party by Amelia Wasiliev

Smoked trout salad

Ingredients

• 1 whole fennel bulb, fronds reserved, thinly sliced
• 1 cup (250ml) white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 3 continental or telegraph cucumbers
• 2 cups watercress
• 2 fillets (about 225g) smoked trout, coarsely flaked
• 1 bunch of radish, thinly sliced
• Scant 1 cup (200g) labneh or other soft cheese like ricotta or feta
• ¼ cup (40g) capers, drained
• 1 bunch of dill, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or to taste
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Start by making a quick pickle for the fennel. Place the sliced fennel in a bowl or jar, leaving the fronds aside to use later. In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar, 1 cup (250ml) water, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of salt over medium to high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat and carefully pour the hot liquid over the sliced fennel, trying to submerge as much of the fennel as possible. Put the pickled fennel into the refrigerator to accelerate the cooling process.
3. To prepare the cucumbers, use a vegetable peeler to make long, thin cucumber ribbons, stopping when you get to the seeds. Flip the cucumber over and repeat on the other side. Continue with all the cucumbers, discarding the inside seed portion.
4. Assemble your salad straight onto a serving platter or in a large shallow bowl. Scatter the watercress evenly over the base of the platter, layer the cucumber ribbons on top, creating swirl-like shapes with them.
5. Next, remove the pickled fennel from the refrigerator and drain off the pickling liquid (you can save the liquid for your next quick pickle). Scatter the fennel over the watercress and cucumber, separating the slices as you go.
6. Scatter over the flaked smoked trout and sliced radishes. Gently spoon small chunks of labneh evenly over the salad, then finish with the capers, fresh dill and reserved fennel fronds. Season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to taste.

Serves 4