Melissa Clark's Salmon Salad with Fennel & New Potatoes
The first time I flipped through Cherry Bombe The Cookbook by Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu, I stuck a Post-it on p. 98 for this delicious-sounding recipe from Melissa Clark. I've made the Salmon Salad at least a handful of times since then, and, believe me, it is delicious. But funny story about the olives shown above. Each time I glanced at the picture of the dish to the right of her recipe, I mistook the brown-skinned tiny potatoes for olives. And while the recipe, clearly, does not call for olives, since I had it in my mind that it did, I would automatically grab the olives from the fridge, along with the fennel, salmon, lemons, yogurt, basil and Dijon. It was only as I sat down to enter the recipe on Kitchen 511 that I realized Clark's Salmon Salad is actually served sans the olives. But I must admit, they make a nice addition; so I'll probably continue to add the them.
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 small fennel bulbs with fronds, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup Fresh Basil leaves, sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 anchovies, chopped (I've made the dish with and without anchovies, and it sings either way)
Zest and juice of 2 large lemons
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallot
1 1/2 pounds tiny new potatoes
1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas
4 (6-ounce) skin-on center-cut wild salmon fillets, pin bones removed
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Preparation
Cut off the tops of the fennel and separate the stalks from the fronds. Discard the stalks and coarsely chop the fronds. Measure out ¾ cup of fronds and place in a blender. Save the remaining fronds for garnish. Add the basil, garlic, anchovies, lemon zest, 1½ teaspoons of the lemon juice, and the salt. With the motor running, drizzle in ¾ cup of the olive oil and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Spoon ¼ cup of the fennel frond purée into a small bowl and scrape the rest into a large bowl. Stir the yogurt into the purée in the large bowl. Don’t worry if it appears slightly curdled, as it will emulsify when tossed with the potatoes. Stir the mustard into the purée in the smaller bowl.
Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut the fennel bulbs into thin slices, the thinner, the better. Toss with the shallot slices, 1½ teaspoons of the lemon juice, a large pinch of salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let stand at room temperature until ready to use.
In a pot of generously salted water, boil the potatoes until just tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Add the peas for the last 2 minutes of cooking (or for the last 3 minutes if frozen). Drain and halve the potatoes when cool enough to handle. Toss the warm potatoes and peas with the yogurt–fennel frond dressing.
While the potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place on the prepared baking sheet skin-side down. Slather the mustard–fennel frond mixture over the tops of the fillets. Bake until the fish is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. You want to serve the fish warm, not hot.
Scatter the peas and the potatoes on a large platter, leaving room in between. Lift large chunks of salmon up from the pan, leaving the salmon skin stuck to the foil. Arrange amid the potatoes and decorate with the marinated fennel slices. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter the reserved fronds over the top and serve with some lemon wedges.
