Trumpeter with Mussels and Pesto

Name: Trumpeter with Mussels and Pesto
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 large trumpeter fillet, pan fried.; 3 dozen fresh mussels in shell.; 2 large carrots.; 2 red onions.; 2 sticks celery.; 400ml white wine.; 1 tomatoe, deseeded and sliced.; 2 tablespoons basil pesto.; 2 tablespoons freshly-chopped Italian parsley.; 2 tablespoons fresh basil and tarragon.; Olive Oil.; Butter.; Salt and pepper to taste.

SpotX Wild Foods Recipe from Annette Rorke
Prep:30 minutes Cook:30 minutes Difficulty:3

Ingrediants:

1 large trumpeter fillet, pan fried.
3 dozen fresh mussels in shell.
2 large carrots.
2 red onions.
2 sticks celery.
400ml white wine.
1 tomatoe, deseeded and sliced.
2 tablespoons basil pesto.
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped Italian parsley.
2 tablespoons fresh basil and tarragon.
Olive Oil.
Butter.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Heat up a little olive oil in a pan.
Add ½ a diced onion, carrot, celery and a little tarragon.
Add the white wine and stock.
Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes, covered if possible.
Clean the mussel shells, removing the ‘beard’, and add to stock.
When just opened, drain off into a bowl, keeping the liquid separate.
Warm a pan on the stove with some butter and olive oil.
Dice all the remaining vegetables.
Add these to the pan and cover with the stock, bring to the boil.
Gently simmer adding the remaining stock if needed.
Simmer until vegetables are tender and season well with salt and pepper.
Add the pesto and leave to one side.
Pan fry the fish in half olive oil and butter and colour well on one side.
Add the tomato and the mussels to the stew.
Place in the serving bowl with the trumpeter on the top.
Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

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Trumpeter Poached in Coconut Milk

Poached Trumpeter in Fresh Tomato Sauce

Cajun Crumbed Trumpeter

Oven-baked Fish with Lime and Herbs

Trumpeter with Mussels and Pesto

Trumpeter
Trumpeter, a relative of the blue moki, is widely spread geographically.
While they are rarely caught north of the Bay of Plenty, they become more prolific the further south you travel.
Some of the best grounds can be found off the South Island’s eastern seaboard, from the Kaikoura Coast right down around the corner to Fiordland and including Foveaux Strait and Stewart Island. The larger specimens like deep water, preferably around structure, and tend to move offshore in the winter months. They are renowned for their fighting ability and take jigs as readily as they do cut baits. The latter, combined with flasher rigs, is a consistent performer.
Unfortunately for trumpeter, they are generally found in good-sized schools, making them an easy target for commercial fishers. They can be quite territorial, which means they are quickly cleaned out of a popular fishing spot.
The good news is that trumpeter is a great eating fish and it hangs out with other top-ten culinary contenders – blue cod, tarakihi and groper. It has a firm flesh which makes it ideal for a number of dishes, especially fish casseroles, as it holds together well.
There are no secrets to filleting trumpeter. It is done in the same way you would fillet a snapper or ‘pup’ groper. It is a fish that ‘ages’ well, gaining in flavour intensity by being refrigerated for a couple of days in a well-drained container.