Method 
Step 1: Preheat oven to 180C. Pick small leaves from the beetroot and reserve for the salad. Cut off most of the stem, leaving 4-5cm attached. Place beetroots on a piece of foil covered with a piece of baking paper, about 40cm long. Add 3 sprigs thyme, 4 cloves garlic, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap up into a loose parcel and place in a small roasting tray. Bake for 30-40 minutes, then set aside until cool enough to handle, and peel off skins.
Step 2: Cut trout fillet in half width-ways. Take one half and remove half of the fillet by cutting down the centre of the fillet lengthways, close to the bones. When you reach the brown fat near the skin turn your knife so you remove the fillet from the skin and leave the brown fat attached to the skin, not the fillet. Repeat so you end up with 2 long fillets. Remove any leftover brown fat on the fillet using long slicing motions for a clean finish.
Step 3: Cover almonds with cold water in a small saucepan and a pinch of salt, bring up to the boil and simmer 4-5 minutes. Drain and cool. Almonds will now be tender enough to slice without cracking. Slice almonds. Heat oil in a small frying pan and add almonds, remaining ½ garlic clove, 1 sprig thyme and a pinch of salt and toss until golden. Tip into a small bowl lined with paper towel and reserve until ready to serve.
Step 4: Pick the smallest witlof leaves and halve the larger leaves. To prepare the radishes, leave one leaf attached, trim radish where leaves were attached and scrape radish root to tidy it up. Wash radishes and drain. Halve or quarter the radishes, trimming attached leaf if necessary.
Step 5: To smoke the fish, set wok over high heat, place a piece of foil inside to line the wok to form a bowl shape. Sprinkle in rice, tea, wood chips and sugar, cover with wok lid and let it start to smoke, about 5-10 minutes.
Step 6: Oil and season trout fillets with salt and place on a small piece of baking paper each drizzled with a little oil so the fillets don’t stick. Sit fillets on curved wok racks inside the wok and cover with the lid. Smoke for 6-8 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the wok and set aside to rest.
Step 7: For the vinaigrette, whisk mandarin zest, mandarin juice, mustard and honey together in a large bowl. Add olive oil, keep whisking and once slightly thickened add almond oil and keep whisking until combined.
Step 8: Smear a line of drained yoghurt in a long line on an oval platter. Assemble salad components on top. Place a fillet next to the salad and top fillet with toasted almonds. Drizzle salad and trout with vinaigrette.
Serves 8
