Summer is wild-salmon season. I am a snob about more than a few things and one them is salmon. I can’t stand anything about farm-raised salmon — the garish color that comes from the dyes used to color the salmon feed; the aggressively oily flavor; and the aftertaste, which takes hours to disappear.
Some wild or natural products have a “bigger” flavor than domesticated or mass-produced ones. Wild salmon has a subtler flavor than farmed salmon — it is generally leaner and also less forgiving of overcooking.
I like this recipe, which captures the essence of wild salmon, and the essence of summer — it’s a quick, easily thrown together room temperature salad made from near-at-hand ingredients and demands to be served in an old wooden bowl on a table covered with oilcloth.
This salad, which is freely adapted from one of my mother’s standby summer dishes, uses animal protein as an accent rather than a centerpiece. As much as big grilled pieces of meat and fish are a favorite of summertime, a lighter dish like this one seems to me to be better for the hot weather.
Wild Salmon Salad with Potatoes and Arugula
Serves 4.
Ingredients
10 ounces wild salmon filet
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large dice
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon capers
1 cup parsley leaves, washed
1 cup arugula leaves, washed
1 cup green beans, snap peas or snow peas
Dijon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place potatoes in a small pot and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Drain and leave out at room temperature until ready to use.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Add the green beans and cook 1 minute. Shock in ice water. Drain.
Place the salmon fillet on baking sheet and sprinkle with the olive oil. Season on both sides with salt and pepper and bake 10 minutes. Cool.
To assemble: Place the salmon in a large mixing bowl and gently break up with a wooden spoon. Add the potatoes, green beans, onions, arugula, parsley leaves and capers, half the dressing and some salt and pepper. Taste the salad for seasoning, then add as much of the remaining dressing as necessary. Serve immediately.
Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oils to emulsify. Refrigerate until ready to use.
