Last week, I had lunch at The Kitchen nestled within Plants of the Southwest. I try not to have favorites with so many incredible restaurants in town, but each time I go, I leave with the feeling it was the best lunch I’ve ever eaten.
The seasonal menu changes daily, and on the day my friend and I went, the first thing that came to the table was a huge green salad dressed in a light balsamic vinaigrette with cured black olives, fresh herbs and almonds. I mention this because this grilled rainbow trout with olive and almond salad is entirely inspired by the salad Olive Tyrrell made that day.
This recipe calls for fillets, but if you’re up for it, you can easily grill a whole fish, too. If you are grilling a whole, 2-pound fish, it will take around 10 minutes on each side. I specifically leave three ingredients fairly vague because I want you to choose what you love.
For the olives, I love the mild, buttery and fruity flavor of Castelvetrano olives, but I had some Kalamata in the fridge, so I used those also. The combination was a home run with the greens I used, which also happen to be my favorite of all the greens (arugula), but spinach, kale, radish, beet, tatsoi or any combination of mixed greens would work, too.
With the herbs, you could go a number of ways: dill, cilantro, mint, parsley, chives, marjoram and basil are the first to come to mind. Combine them however you like and enjoy this bright, herbaceous fish dinner.
Grilled rainbow trout with olive and almond salad
Makes: 4-6 servings; total time: 1 hour
2 pounds trout fillets
¼ cup olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5 sage leaves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup pitted olives, rinsed and roughly chopped
¼ cup almonds, roughly chopped
4 cup leafy greens
½ cup fresh herbs, sliced through
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation: Preheat your grill to around 400 degrees, or hot coals burned down to a medium heat.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, sage, rosemary and lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour half of this over the trout and evenly coat the fish. Leave the remaining half in the bowl and add to the bowl the olives, almonds, leafy greens and fresh herbs.
Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides, and grill the trout skin side down for a few minutes on each side, just until the fish is done. You’ll be able to tell when the flesh becomes opaque and the fish is slightly firm to the touch.
Transfer the grilled fish to a clean platter, toss the salad in the bowl and top over the fish right before serving.
Marianne Sundquist is a chef, writer and co-founder of Stokli, celebrating nourishing goods from the high desert (stokli.com). Find her on Instagram @marianne__sundquist and email marianne@stokli.com.
The Santa Fe New Mexican observes its 175th anniversary with a series highlighting some of the major stories and figures that have appeared in the paper's pages through its history.Â
