Roast Potato, Smoked Fish and Asparagus Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing

, from Issue #69. November, 2016
Photography by Kelly Gibney.
Roast Potato, Smoked Fish and Asparagus Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing

While smoked salmon is rather traditional on Christmas day, I really love to include smoked fish instead. Hopefully we can get our hands on some freshly caught and home-smoked fish from family friends. If purchasing from a fishmonger, select a variety that is not too dry. 

Serves: 6 as a side

INGREDIENTS

500 grams baby potatoes, cut into 1.5cm slices
2 tablespoons melted ghee or coconut oil for roasting
350 grams asparagus, trimmed, then halved
150 grams good-quality smoked fish (I used warehou)
Dressing
½ preserved lemon, pulp removed
1 small clove garlic, finely diced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
¼ cup olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper
To serve
handful fresh dill leaves 

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C. 

Toss potato slices in the ghee or oil and place in a single layer in a large ovenproof dish. Roast for 35–40 minutes until tender and golden brown.

Combine all the dressing ingredients and use a hand blender or a mini food processor to blitz until as smooth as possible. Season generously. The dressing should be on the salty side and the saltiness of the preserved lemons can vary between brands. Adjust accordingly.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus for 1 minute before plunging into icy water. This helps retain the bright green colour. Drain well.

Lay the hot potato slices out on a plate. Scatter over the asparagus. Break the smoked fish into large chunks and place on top. Add generous dollops of dressing and garnish with dill and a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.