Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad

The sunny weather is upon us and salad is the order of the day! This simple recipe is a lovely starter or light lunch to enjoy in the summer months and can be versatile depending on what you have. I am using hot smoked salmon instead of the traditional tuna, but lots of fish would work – poached salmon, seared fresh tuna, canned tuna, mackerel, etc.

The key to a good salad is the dressing and seasoning and this is where my stylish Bristol Duo Pourer and the beautiful Derwent mills come into their own. These are perfect on a summer table to allow people to add as much dressing as they like. My general rule of thumb with any dressing is three parts oil to one part acid, then add mustard or other seasonings according to tastes.

In this recipe I am using some anchovies in the dressing – this will not taste too fishy but will just add a lovely umami depth to the dressing.

Enjoy with a glass of cold Provencal Rose wine.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 20 minutes prep, 5 minute assembly

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 2 large fillets of hot smoked salmon
• 2 bags of lettuce – I like one with lambs’ lettuce and rocket
• 1 packet of French fine beans
• ½ cucumber
• 4 ripe tomatoes or a good handful of cherry tomatoes
• 4 eggs
• 8 baby new potatoes
• 20 black olives (stoned)

For the Dressing

• 6 tbsps olive oil
• 2 tbsps red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 anchovy fillets
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

1. Begin by preparing your eggs, potatoes and green beans. This stage can be done well in advance and the ingredients will keep well in the fridge for up to a day. Bring 2 pans of water to the boil and add a good tablespoon of salt to each.
2. Cut the root end off the French beans (if this has not already been done for you) and place in one of the boiling pans of water. Have an iced bowl of cold water ready and once the beans are soft (this should take no longer than 5 minutes), place them in the iced water until cool.
3. In the second pan, add the eggs and cook for exactly 7 minutes to get to soft boiled. Place in a bowl of cold water to cool. Once cool, peel and set aside.
4. Now add the baby potatoes to a pan and cover with cold water and a tablespoon of salt. Bring to the boil and cook until soft. Drain and set aside to cool.
5. For the dressing – add the anchovy fillets to a pestle and mortar, mash until they are a paste. Now add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and seasoning to taste. Use a small whisk to bring the dressing together.
6. To assemble the salad, cut the tomatoes in half. Chop the cucumber into half moons. Cut the potatoes into slice or half (depending on size). Cut your French beans in half if they are quite large. Cut the eggs into quarter and get ready to arrange in your bowl(s).
7. Arrange the lettuce at the bottom of the bowls, then start to layer up the vegetable and salad items. Try to make every part of the salad visible.
8. Before adding the olives and eggs, dress the salad and then place them on top
9. Finally, flake the hot smoked salmon and place on top of the salad. Season with salt and pepper using your Derwent mill set.