I love to spend a day with my “Sister Fires” (the term of endearment I have bestowed on my spirited group of girlfriends). So I don’t want to spend too much time holed up in the kitchen when I have them over. This composed salad is a deliciously simple centerpiece for a casual luncheon with them. Everything is prepared before they arrive so I can meet them at the door with a relaxed smile.
This salad is inspired by the salads served along coastal France. I give it a little “Asha treatment” by drizzling the salmon with some olive oil, tempered with mustard seeds.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
What you will need:
For the Salmon
1 (4-pound) slab of wild salmon
½ cup olive oil 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
For the Green Beans:
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ pound green beans
For the Eggs:
6 seven-minute eggs, cut in halves
For the Dressing:
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil cup honey
¼ cup spicy, grainy mustard cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Tempered Oil:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
For the Salad:
1 cup Niçoise olives or Kalamata olives, pitted
3 cups frisee
3 cups Bibb lettuce leaves
1 ½ pounds heirloom tomatoes, quartered
10 caper berries
To make the salmon:
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, place the salmon skin-side down on the pan. Drizzle the salmon with a cup of the olive oil. Sprinkle the salt and paprika evenly all over the salmon and roast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
To make the green beans:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of baking soda, and then drop in the green beans. Blanch for 3 minutes, remove the beans with a slotted spoon and place the beans in an ice bath or cool under running cold water.
To make the eggs:
Bring a pot of water to a boil, place your eggs in boiling water for 7 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and place them in an ice bath or under cold running water. Peel the eggs and set aside. Slice the eggs in half.
To make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.
To make the tempered oil:
Heat a small skillet over medium to high. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds pop, remove the pan from the heat.
To assemble the salad:
Place the salmon in the center of the platter and pour half the dressing over the fish. Pour the tempered oil over the salmon. Arrange all the remaining ingredients around the fish. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.
NOTES:
Niçoise olives are a French favorite, produced in the region around the French Riviera. Brine-cured, they come in colors that range from deep, almost black-purple to pale green to light taupe. These petite olives have an intensely savory flavor and often come packed with herbs.