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SALMON CARPACCIO WITH ALMONDS SALAD

Seasonal Spanish Food
by Jose Pizarro

Wild salmon is quite common in northern Spain, and it is at its best in early summer. Wild salmon is an expensive but wonderful-tasting fish, and this recipe is a great way of honoring it.
Make sure you buy line-caught rather than trawler-caught salmon. For this recipe you don't need the prime middle cut; the tail will do. Ask your fishmonger to fillet it for you.
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Salmon Carpaccio
· 14 oz salmon tail (2 fillets)
· 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
· 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Almond Salad
· 1/2 cup flaked almonds
· generous handful of frisee salad leaves
· 10 chive stalks, finely snipped
· 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
· 2 tablespoons Moscatel white wine vinegar
· salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Get a really sharp knife and thinly slice the salmon toward the tail. The technique is to try and skim the flesh with the knife at around a 20° angle; don't chop downward. Your first couple of slices may be a bit ragged, but that won't affect the taste—you'll get better the more you practice. Place the slices of salmon on a serving plate immediately, arranging them around the edge to leave room for the salad in the middle.

Whisk together the olive oil and orange juice and pour this mixture over the salmon. Let the fish marinate in the dressing for 30 minutes.

Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan and dry-fry the almonds until they are nicely golden. This will take 2 minutes over medium heat, but remember that the almonds will keep cooking in the pan, so remove them as soon as you think they're done. Let cool.

Mix the salad leaves, almonds, and chives together, then make the dressing by whisking together the oil and vinegar. Pour the dressing over the top of the salad mixture.

Pile the salad in the center of the salmon slices. Sprinkle everything with a pinch of salt and a couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper and serve.