Flaked Salmon Salad on a Bed of Watercress (serves 4)
Cold salmon embodies summer (think whole poached salmon with cucumber slices down the middle – a memory from childhood celebrations). Peas – fresh from the pod – are a summer treat if you can get them. Also in the salad are shelled edamame, but if you have baby broad beans you could substitute those. Then there is some English cucumber and some finely chopped scallions. Served on a bed of super healthy watercress and tossed in a lemon vinaigrette (special ingredient to vinaigrette is juice from cooked salmon).Add some new potatoes or else quantities are for a ladies’ lunch. Vegan or vegetarian if you omit salmon.
2 oz watercress – torn into little pieces
1 x good size piece of salmon
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 cup of water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place salmon on a piece of tin foil big enough to wrap around salmon.
Pour over lemon juice and water and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook in oven for 20 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and then let cool.
Retain juice.
Place 1/2 cup peas and 1/2 cup edamame beans in pan with boiling water and cook for 3 minutes or so, then drain.
1 bunch scallions/spring onions – finely chopped
1/2 English cucumber (English because no seeds) – chopped into small chunks
1/2 lemon juice freshly squeezed
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Poach salmon in aluminum foil in an oven proof dish with the lemon juice, water and seasoning – make a kind of parcel.
Cook for 20 minutes or so in oven until salmon is cooked. Then let cool.
At same time cook peas and edamame beans/baby broad beans in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse.
Place torn up watercress in bottom of serving bowl and add scallions/spring onions and chopped cucumber.
Add cooled pea/edamame mixture
Add flaked salmon
Vinaigrette – juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper AND lemon/water juice from poaching the salmon (makes all the difference).