Smoked Trout Salad with Cranberry Horseradish Vinaigrette

for the vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 1 tablespoons jarred horseradish
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the salad:

• 1 large navel orange
• 12 large green-leaf lettuce leaves
• 1 small bunch watercress, thick stems removed
• 2 large smoked trout fillets (about 1 pound), broken into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, minced

Makes 4 servings.

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine the oil, cranberries, horseradish, vinegar, and orange juice in a blender. Pulse on and off until mixture blends easily, then blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. The vinaigrette can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated, covered. Bring to room temperature and blend for 10 seconds to re-emulsify before serving.

To assemble the salad: Section the orange. Place the lettuce leaves on a large platter. Top with the watercress, trout, orange sections, and red onion, in that order. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette over the salad and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately, with the remaining vinaigrette on the side.

From The Stonewall Kitchen Cookbook.