It's freezing cold outside but that shouldn't stop you from cooking on the grill. Over the past few days we've used a small charcoal barbecue to hot-smoke fish and to grill lamb chops, vegetables, and moose. If you want smokiness, just throw a few nibbles of apple or maple wood on the grill. For this recipe I've cured my salmon in salt, sugar, and maple syrup for a few days before cooking it in order to get a saltier and drier piece of fish. The result has almost the character of bacon, as in a classic potato salad. But curing the salmon is entirely optional. It tastes great either way. Enjoy!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
• 1 kg baby potatoes • 400g fresh salmon • 4-5 small shallots, skin on, cut in half • 125ml (1/2 cup) plain yogurt • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons maple syrup • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • sea salt and ground black pepper
Boil the potatoes until tender, about 5-8 minutes depending on the size. Drain and leave to cool. On a barbecue or grill pan, cook the salmon about 5 minutes on each side, until just cooked. Brush it with maple syrup while it cooks. Drizzle the shallots with oil and grill them for about 10 minutes, turning them a few times, until soft. Remove the skin from the shallots and separate each layer. In a large bowl mix together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. Add the potatoes, chunked up grilled salmon, and shallots. Gently fold together. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with a few greens.
