This was the starter course to our fantastic first cooking class. The flavors are complex but the preparation is quite simple. The key ingredient is the smoked trout and the crisped trout skin. This salad might also be good with sliced fresh fennel bulb instead of the endive.

Trout Salad Prep

Serves 8

4 boneless smoked-trout fillets with skin

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt to taste

3 red grapefruit

2 avocados

5 cups arugula

3 Belgian endive, sliced across

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

4 red radishes, very thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the skin from the trout. Lay out on a baking sheet and rub the skin with a little olive oil, then bake for about 10 minutes, until browned and crisp. Flake the trout meat into pieces and set aside.

In a bowl, put the lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Whisk in the olive oil by adding it in a slow drizzle while constantly whisking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Using a small sharp knife, peel the grapefruits removing all the bitter white pith. Working over a bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the sections into the bowl. Squeeze in extra juice (for drinking later).

Slice the avocados and drizzle with a little dressing . In a large bowl, toss the arugula, endive, red onion and radish with enough dressing to coat. Spread the arugula mixture onto plates. Sprinkle on grapefruit sections, broken in half, and the trout pieces. Arrange avocado slices decoratively. Then top each salad with some of the crisped trout skin broken into small pieces.  Serve.