Hot-Smoked Salmon with Mango and Avocado Salsa
This is one of my most tried and tested starters - it's perfect as a dinner party opener for a big number of guests, as all the prep is done in advance. The biggest number I've prepared for at one time was 600, for the dinner to celebrate the opening of the Scottish Parliament. I like to mould this into a neat tower using a scone cutter. This aids the pre-preparation, but it doesn't make it taste any better so, when I serve this at home, I simply break off a piece of hot-smoked salmon and sit it next to a dollop of salsa - end of story.
Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients
250g (9oz) hot smoked salmon
For the salsa
1 ripe avocado
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
+ red onion, finely chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped into 1cm (½ in) dice
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
Freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Juice and grated zest of 1 lime
To serve
100g (4oz) baby salad leaves, iceberg lettuce or purslane
1 teaspoon olive oil
lemon juice
herb oil (optional)
balsamic syrup (optional)
To make the salsa, halve the avocado and remove the stone. Halve again and remove the skin before chopping it into 1cm (½ in) chunks. Place in a mixing bowl and add the chilli, coriander, red onion, mango, fish sauce, a pinch of salt and the lime juice and zest. Mix well and leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes, to allow the flavours to develop.
Lightly dress the salad leaves in the teaspoon of olive oil, a small squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of seasoning.
To serve in the formal way, set a 7.5cm (3in) scone cutter or food ring in the centre of each plate. Flake the salmon into large pieces and, using about 85g (3oz) per ring, press into the base of each ring, banking it up the sides of the ring so that it will hold. Spoon the salsa on top of the salmon and press down lightly. The towers are ideal for preparing in advance; simply prepare to this stage and place on a tray in the fridge until needed. When ready to serve, remove the ring carefully and garnish with a handful of the lightly dressed salad leaves. Drizzle round the herb oil and the balsamic syrup, if using.
To serve informally, flake the salmon and divide between the serving plates. Place some salsa alongside the fish and drizzle round the herb oil and balsamic syrup, if using. Serve with the salad in a bowl on the side.
© Nick Nairn
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