Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s recipe of the same name in her book Simply Nigella. It’s delicious, easy and healthy.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets
- 2 spring onions, trimmed or 1 shallot, peeled and halved
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 ½ tsp lime juice
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- For the salad:
- 3 x 15ml tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 100g watercress or rocket
- 1 tsp organic cloudy apple cider vinegar
- 1 small ripe avocado
- 1 x 15ml tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes, or to taste
Method
1. Put the salmon fillets in a small frying pan (approx 20 cm) and cover with cold water. Add the whole spring onions (or shallot) and peppercorns, squeeze in the lime juice and sprinkle in the salt, then bring to the boil, uncovered. When the water is bubbling, turn the fillets over, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for 7 minutes. Then take the fillets out of the liquid and leave to cool completely, which could take up to 1 hour. Once cool, the salmon will be cooked through but perfectly moist and tender.
2. In the meantime, start the salad. Toast the pumpkin seeds by tossing them in a dry, heavy-based frying pan on the hob. They will start jumping a little, and will darken and get a smokier taste. It doesn’t take long to toast them, so don’t leave the pan and keep stirring them. Then transfer to a cold plate.
3. When the salmon is ready, put the watercress (or rocket) into a large shallow bowl, sprinkle with the vinegar and toss. Now add the salmon, removing the skin and tearing the fish into bite-sized pieces or flaked, as you wish.
4. Halve the avocado and remove the stone, then spoon the flesh out in bite-sized pieces onto the salmon and watercress. Drizzle the oil over the salad, sprinkle with the salt and half of the toasted pumpkin seeds, and toss gently to mix. Scatter the remaining pumpkin seeds on top.
Source: Lawson N (2015) Simply Nigella. London: Chatto & Windus.
Allergy advice: contains fish.
