Grilled Beet & Smoked Trout Salad With Chives

2 large red beets
3 cup rice vinegar
4 cup water
2 tablespoon musta rd seeds
1 tablespoon anise seed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cumin seed
4 oz grape seed oil
1 bunch fresh chives
1 salt to taste
1 oz lemon juice
12 oz whole smoked rainbow trout
----FOR GARNISH----
4 small bunches of baby leaf lettuce
1 zest of 1 lemon
Peel the beets and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds. In a nonreactive
pot combine the venegar, seeds, and sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce
by half. Add the water and bring back to a boil. Add beets and cook
until done but still firm. Remove from heat and let beets cool in
liquid. (The beets can be done a week ahead.)
To ma ke the lemon vinegar: Combine 2 ounces of the strained cooking
liquid from the beets with the lemon juice. If necessary, remove the
bones from the trout. Bones can be easily removed by taking out the
backbone, and the pin bones for the most part will come with it. Peel
skin off the fillets. Flake the fish gently into small pieces about
the size of lump crab meat. Store the fish in the refrigerator or
until ready to serve .
To ma ke the chive oil: Combine the chives with the grape seed oil in a
blender. Puree until smooth; season with salt.
To assemble the salad: Remove the beets from the liquid and cook on a
grill or in a skillet until warmed. Place three slices of beet onto
each plate. Drizzle about 1 T chive oil around beets; do the same
with the lemon vinegar. Divide the trout into equal portions and
place a small pile of trout on top of the beets. Finish salads by
placing one small bunch of baby lettuce in the center of each plate
and sprinkling with lemon zest.