Now, I LOVE to cook but sometimes, I also love to simply “assemble”. As long as you know how to put the correct ingredients together to create the tastiest dressings and a good variety in textures, salads can be FULL of SO much flavour, and even better still, on the table in 15 minutes. You could replace the smoked salmon in this dish for smoked mackerel or even juicy prawns. Fresh, crunchy and delicious, I really hope you all enjoy this one.
Ingredients
2 pitta breads, sliced open and cut into triangles
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp sea salt flakes
4 heaped tbsp crème fraîche
2 tsp runny honey
1 tsp whole grain mustard
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp grated garlic
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 tsp finely chopped dill
1/2 large cucumber, thinly sliced
150g radishes, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Small handful of cornichons
200g smoked salmon, cut into roughly 2x3cm pieces
Pinch of pul biber and sumac to serve
Lemon wedges to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 180c fan / 200c.
Place the pitta triangles on a baking tray and brush or spray with the olive oil, season with a small pinch of the sea salt and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.
Finely chopped half of the cornichons, and thinly slice the remaining half into tiny rounds.
In a large dish, mix together the crème fraîche, honey, mustards, lemon zest, garlic, and the remaining salt and the black pepper. Add most of the chopped chives and dill reserving some for garnishing later, and the finely chopped cornichons (not the rounds) to the crème fraîche dressing and stir well. Add the sliced cucumber, radishes, onions (reserving a couple of pieces of each for garnishing with too) and stir gently but well again.
Serve the crunchy pitta triangles and salad on a large platter topped with the smoked salmon pieces, nestling some of the fish into the salad, and garnish with the reserved cucumber, radish, red onion, fresh herbs and sliced cornichons. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of pul biber and sumac. Serve with lemon wedges.
