So it’s pretty hot right now piglets. This Little Pig was breezily trotting around yesterday morning thinking – “you know it’s not that bad outside” and then BANG midday struck and This Little Pig turned into a smoked ham on the spot. Now this fine swine has an oven the size of a small car and during summer, aims to turn it on for the least amount of time possible. You’ll hear the war cry, “fire up the barbie” ringing from This Little Pig’s snout regularly over the summer months. Therefore with smoked salmon in the fridge and some soft bocconcini, this piglet mused that it was probably time to crack out the crunchy and cool salad that is this recipe. It has the tangy, salty and sweet all combined together in one mouthful and to top it off, time spent over the cooktop is a measly 5 mins. What more could a swine ask for? “An ice cold beer, a masseuse and 4 day weekends” I hear you reply – but we can’t have everything at once dear piglet or life wouldn’t be special.
Anyway! Roll up your beach toweled slipover (you know the one that’s like a beach towel but it has a head hole and arm holes?! – shocking I know) and trundle into the kitchen in your flip flops. This breezy summer meal will cool the trotters and delight the senses. Oink!
Salad Ingredients:
50g (½ cup) x Walnuts
150g x Mixed Lettuce leaves
1 x Red Onion
90g x Smoked Salmon
1 x Tbs Treacle
30g x Preserved Lemon
3 x Tbs Capers
150g x Cherry Tomatoes
125g x Bocconcini
1 x Baguette French Stick
Salad Dressing Ingredients:
2 x Tbs Olive Oil
1 x Lemon
1 x Tsp Horseradish
1 x Garlic Clove (small)
¼ x Chive Bunch
Smoked Salmon Salad
Feeds: 2 Hungry Piglets.
Prep Time: 15 Mins. Cooking Time: 5 Mins.
Method of Summer Cool:
- Drop your butter (30g) into a pan, toss your walnuts (50g) in and drizzle over your treacle (1 Tbs) on a medium heat. Allow the treacle to melt and gently stir the walnuts to coat them with candied goodness. Once coated and slightly more golden in colour (around 3 mins) take off the heat and allow to cool quietly in the corner.
- Skin and very finely dice your garlic (1), finely dice your chives (¼ bunch) and zest your lemon (1) but don’t zest your thumb in the process like this fine swine did – zest of a thumb anyone?
- Slice your lemon into quarters and in a bowl, squeeze one quarter of your lemon in and combine the rest of the salad dressing ingredients: chopped chives, diced garlic, olive oil (2 Tbs) and horseradish (1 Tsp) and mix well. Set aside to just relax and enjoy the view of your kitchen.
- Slice your cherry tomatoes (150g) in half, skin and finely slice into thin strips your red onion and finely dice your preserved lemon.
- Spritz your lettuce and spin him dry – no lettuce spinner? Pop your lettuce in the middle of a tea towel grab all four corners and spin him wildly in a circle over your head whilst screeching like a cowboy – we’re not joking it really works (the spinning part not the screeching part).
- Lay out your lovely lettuce on a pretty platter and scatter over your cherry tomatoes, diced preserved lemon and capers (3 Tbs).
- Rip your smoked salmon up into delightful strips and scatter over with your red onion.
- Rip your bocconcini up and scatter over the top and then finish with your candied walnuts.
- Drizzle over your delightful salad dressing that has been relaxing in the kitchen and then give it all a good scrunch of pepper.
- Serve with your crusty baguette, a crisp chardy and potentially no clothes – if you don’t have air-conditioning in your home. Now that’s cooling. Oink.
