Hot-smoked Salmon & New Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing
Introduction
This is perfect for a light summery meal, or as an alternative Christmas day lunch.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
600g (about 1 lb 3 oz) new potatoes, scrubbed
Salt
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Freshly ground black pepper
500g (a generous lb) plump asparagus
300g (10 oz) hot-smoked salmon
130g (4-5 oz) salad leaves (use small red and green leaves)
2 Tbsp chopped dill
2 Tbsp snipped chives
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp chopped tarragon or basil
Creamy mustard dressing
½ cup crème fraiche
1½ Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp creamy Dijonnaise mustard
1 Tbsp chopped dill
Method
1 Steam or gently boil the potatoes until just tender (sprinkle potatoes with salt, or add salt to the water). If the potatoes are small, leave them whole; otherwise, slice thickly (if the skin is tough, remove it). Have ready the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic whisked together in a bowl with half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add warm potatoes and toss very gently.
2 Wash and trim the asparagus, then plunge them into a saucepan of gently boiling salted water. Cook briefly, about 3 minutes (keep them nice and crisp), drain and refresh with plenty of cold water. Pat dry and cut into thirds on the diagonal.
3 Pat the salmon dry with paper towels, remove any skin and fat, then flake the flesh into large pieces.
4 Mix creamy mustard dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
5 Wash and dry salad leaves and tear into bite-sized pieces. Once the potatoes are cool, add salad leaves and herbs. Toss gently. Add salmon and pour over creamy dressing. Serve immediately.