Welcome to the first of three recipe posts from Tofino chefs participating in Feast Tofino, coming up April 20 to May 6!  Chef Paul Moran of 1909 Kitchen at Tofino Resort + Marina shares this delicious salad.  And he promises it’s do-able for home chefs.

Cured Spring Salmon Salad

Serves six people as an appetizer

INGREDIENTS:

600 g fillet of spring salmon, skin on
6 small fingerling potatos
1/2 a red onion
500 ml vegetable oil
50 ml apple cider vinegar
100 g Kosher salt
75 g brown sugar
1 bunch watercress
3 baby candy cane beets
50 ml sour cream
1 bunch dill

PREPARATION:
Begin by rubbing 75 g Kosher salt and 75 g brown sugar on the salmon fillet. Set aside in the fridge for 10 hours. Rinse and set aside in the freezer. Once the fish is almost frozen remove and slice thinly. Spread the slices in a rectangle shape on six plates.

Heat vegetable oil to 350 C and slice potato thinly. Fry the chips until they are golden and crisp. place on absorbent paper or cloth.

Pick the leaves of the watercress and dill. Wash them to remove any soil. Spin dry in a salad spinner.

Slice red onions .5 cm thick. Marinate with apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt for one hour.

Put sour cream into a piping bag. Thinly slice the candy cane beets on a mandolin.

PLATING:

Using the plates with the sliced salmon place a few dots of sour cream onto the fish. The proceed to add the marinated onions, watercress, dill, raw beet slices and potato chips.

Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve immediately.