hot-smoked salmon
with beetroot, avocado and chickpea salad
A RICH SOURCE OF HEALTHY FATS
This recipe is a showcase for healthy fats. It is high in monounsaturated fatty acids which come from the olive oil and avocados and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats from the salmon. Its saturated fats come predominantly from fermented, full-fat dairy products in the form of feta cheese.
While we might typically associate saturated fats with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, fermented dairy has actually been shown to lower that risk; it is cardio-protective.
This recipe is brought to you by The Diet & Lifestyle Project, which has an extensive selection of articles on all aspects of nutrition, including a guide to striking a healthy balance of dietary fats. Join us by signing up to our monthly or annual subscription plan, each of which offer a FREE 30-day trial with no obligation.
​​
Click here for more details.
The specially designed recipe below provides a balance of monounsaturated fats, the omega-3 fatty acids – EPA and DHA – and some saturated fats from fermented dairy products.
the recipe
hot-smoked salmon with beetroot, avocado & chickpea salad
INGREDIENTS
1 lemon (unwaxed)
1 garlic clove
extra virgin olive oil
200g chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
4 spring onions, trimmed
2 or 3 cooked beetroot
1 avocado (preferably Hass)
100g feta cheese
1 medium red chilli, thinly sliced
a few springs of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
400g hot-smoked salmon (4 smoked mackerel fillets would make a good substitute)
METHOD
1. For the dressing: Zest the lemon on to a board and add half to a lidded jar, reserving the other half for garnish. Cut the lemon in two and squeeze the juice (through a sieve) into the jar.
2. Crush the garlic clove with the flat of a knife, remove the skin, cut out any visible green shoot and add the crushed clove to the jar.
3. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, followed by olive oil in a ratio of 2:1 versus the other ingredients. Screw the lid tightly on to the jar and shake vigorously to emulsify.
4. For the salad: Assemble each portion individually, starting by dividing the chickpeas/beans between two pasta bowls or plates..
5. Thinly slice the spring onions on the diagonal and scatter half (the white parts) over the peas/beans, saving the greener parts for garnish.
6. Pour enough dressing over the chickpeas and onions to coat them well, taking care to remove the garlic first.
7. Cut the beetroot into wedges, slice the avocado and arrange around the dish. Crumble the feta over the top.
8. Add a few slices of chilli and a scattering of the chopped parsley.
9. Give the dressing jar another shake and drizzle over the dish. There is no need to add all of it.
10. Remove the skin from the salmon (and, if preferred, scrape away the darker meat beneath the skin) and place the portions, trimmed side down, on top of the salad.
​​
11. Garnish with a few more chilli slices, the green spring onion slices, another sprinkling of parsley and the remaining lemon zest.
TOP TIP
Choose salmon portions from the thicker head end of the fish rather than thin, triangular portions from the tail end which can be overly salty.
CLICK TO WATCH
Watch our video of the recipe being made, along with some extra tips and information
Notes & advice
Hot-smoked salmon can be a confusing term. It isn’t (usually) served hot, but rather it is cold salmon that has been cooked in a smoker, as opposed to traditional smoked salmon, which is cured in smoke but not actually cooked.
​​
Hot-smoked salmon can be found online from traditional smokeries like Goldstein (who do a particularly excellent one) and Severn & Wye, which is also available from some smaller local retailers.
​​
The cuts are typically provided as either a pair of thicker, narrow slices from the head end of the fish –which is what we want – through to a single, thinner, triangular cut from the tail, which can sometimes be dry and overly salty.
​​
Some supermarkets sell hot-smoked salmon but their sources are likely to be based on cost and availability rather than quality. Poor examples of farmed salmon are very poor, so take care.
​​
We can substitute this salmon for smoked mackerel, which is a significant cost saving and is also a superb source of omega-3 fats. Smoked chicken or turkey would taste great, but lack those omega-3s.
One of the great things about this dish is that it’s incredibly quick to make. If we’d prefer to do a bit of cooking, we can substitute pan-fried or steamed salmon or mackerel, or indeed any number of other fish.
​
The darker band of meat that sits immediately beneath the skin is termed the ‘bloodline’. After peeling off the skin, we can choose to scrape this darker meat away, as I’ve done in this recipe, or leave it. There’s no issue with taste but some people find the appearance off-putting. Furthermore, there is some suggestion that heavy metals, accumulated as a fish consumes smaller species, are concentrated in the bloodline. That said, salmon is a low-mercury, high-selenium fish that most people feel confident in consuming on a reasonably regular basis.
We need to be a little mindful of how salty this dish can get. Some brands of hot-smoked salmon are considerably saltier than others and, as mentioned above, the exact cut makes a difference. Then we have the feta, and there’s some salt in the dressing and on the avocados (which ‘drink’ salt, as Nigella says). If we’re not sure how much salt to add, we should be careful with seasoning the dressing and avocado until we’ve had a chance to taste. We can always add salt but we can’t remove it. It is a fantastic flavour enhancer right up until the point where it’s a touch too much and the dish is ruined.