The Most Amazing Hot Smoked Salmon and Fennel Salad

This is the PERFECT summer lunch salad. There. I said it. And I'm not taking it back.

This was my first attempt at hot smoking 

salmon. And man was it good. AND I got to use our beautiful new bbq (isn't it pretty?!)

Matt (who has been a [fish] smoker for years) wasn't home, so I turned to my number 2 man - Jamie Oliver. That man never let me down before, and he sure as hell didn't let me down tonight. Matt came home, and swiftly took over the whole thing. Well, he tried until I told him in no uncertain terms that this was MY meal, and he was to do exactly as I told him.

Naww, look at him pretending he's doing all the work.

The whole smoking saga was actually very simple, and amazingly quick. From start to finish, you could have the salad done in less than 30 minutes (and eaten in 3 if you're as excited about this salad as I was).

I added 3 handfuls of manuka chips, a sprig of rosemary and a couple of sprigs of sage to a fish smoker (see Jamie's instructions here for how to make yourself one). The salmon fillet  goes on a rack inside the smoker, and put the whole thing directly on the gas burners. Like, take the grill plates out and sit the smoker right on the burners. This will create the heat you need to get the wood chips smoking nicely. 

Turn on two burners on low heat, and leave for 9 minutes to smoke up goood. Then turn off the heat and leave for 3 more minutes. This will allow the last of the smoke to penetrate the fish. 

Try not to eat the fish yet. Well, you could. But you could also make this salad. Either way you'll be pretty happy.

I combined the fish with a pretty simple fennel and baby spinach salad. Rocket would be better, but I didn't have any in the fridge after Sunday's crayfish, not that I'm complaining about the crayfish! Man, I could eat this salad all day.

Manuka Hot Smoked Salmon and Fennel Salad (serves 2)

250g hot smoked salmon, flaked

I fennel bulb, sliced as thin as possible

2 handfuls of baby spinach (or rocket)

1/2t dijon mustard

1 pinch brown sugar

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

50ml oil

pinch of salt

Ok, so once you've smoked your salmon using the instructions above, it's not exactly rocket science. 

First make the dressing by whisking the mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice, oil and salt together. Then simply toss the fennel and spinach and salmon together with the dressing.

Dish out onto two pristine plates, pour two glasses of wine, and enjoy!