Smoked Salmon, Strawberry and Celery Salad

           In order to sparkle up my gastronomic experience, I love to try exotic ingredients and to combine usual ones in a new, sometimes a bit weird way. No wonder, when I saw a recipe of a salad with smoked salmon and strawberry, I couldn’t but give it a try. The experiment was to be held on a weekend morning. I usually wake up earlier to prepare the breakfast – so that my husband can get up and find a meal waiting for him at the table. That day, as I was washing the rocket leaves for the salad, I started to doubt whether my hubby would agree to taste my new creation (I had a back-up plan in this case – some simple toasts with smoked salmon and aragula on the side). Before tossing all the ingredients in a bowl, I decided to ask his opinion about the perspective of trying such an unusual dish – and right after saying “Good morning, darling!” I told him about my kitchen plans. I guess, he was still in gastronomically adventurous mood (after being delighted by a chocolate cake with cherry tomatoes and raspberry caramel that I cooked the day before) as he agreed to have the dish for the breakfast. 

          At the dining table, when he dug into the salad and I asked him about his opinion on it, he said: “I haven’t figured out yet”. I kept asking and he kept saying the same thing until he finished his whole serve (which already was a good sign). Eventually he admitted that despite all the quirkiness of the combination, he found it to be very good. And despite his uncertainness at the beginning I was glad that in the long run he appreciated the dish – which meant that I could include it in our home menu!

Recipe adapted from the original one from “BBC Good Food India” magazine

Ingredients:

200 gm smoked salmon, torn into strips
200 gm strawberries, hulled and halved
2 celery sticks, sliced
70 gm rocket leaves
1 tsp honey
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil


Method:

1. In a small bowl, make a dressing by whisking together honey, mustard and vinegar. Add oil in a thin but steady stream.
2. In a big bowl, combine salmon, strawberries, celery and rocket leaves. Drizzle the dressing over and toss gently. Divide the salad between the serving plates.


Notes:

1. The original recipe calls for fennel instead of celery. If you have an access to fresh fennel, go for it!
2. Do not choose overripe strawberries for the salad – their sweetness will spoil the flavour profile of the dish.