Ingredients
Salmon & Asparagus
- 8 oz Smoked Salmon, thinly sliced
- 24 spears Asparagus, White or Green, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Lemon
Herbed Creme Fraiche
- 6 oz Creme Fraiche
- 2 tablespoons Parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Mixed Fresh Herbs, finely chopped (like Tarragon, Dill, Chives, and/or Mint)
- 1 Lemon, Zest and Juice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring large pot of water to the boil; trim asparagus.
- Add the asparagus and cook till just tender. Remove from water and set aside to cool.
- Blend creme fraiche with fresh herbs, lemon zest and juice, and season to taste.
- Plate asparagus spears with smoked salmon draped over, garnish with dollops of herbed creme fraiche.
The savory and smokey flavors of smoked salmon and the fresh green crunch of spring’s first vegetable, asparagus, complement each other nicely in this chilled dish which is served easily as a breakfast with the addition of a poached egg, or as a light lunch. Toast your favorite sourdough bread slices or gluten-free alternative to serve on the side.
Creme fraiche is a lovely and flavorful French-style full fat sour cream which can be found in the dairy section of specialty grocery stores; in a pinch classic sour cream can be substituted but it is not quite the same as the French version! Any light, fresh spring herbs work well mixed with parsley in the creme fraiche; have fun and change at will depending on your own personal taste.
If you are a real fan of salty and savory components, you can experiment more and add capers and even cornichon to punch the dish up a bit.
Trim the asparagus first by snapping the ends off by hand; the woody stems should break off naturally at a point close to the bottom. Or if you prefer, trim them with a knife to get the prettier-looking clean cut. I myself am a fan of doing it the quick and old-fashioned way, just by hand! Then using a vegetable peeler, peel around the bottom two inches or so of each spear. This will remove the woodier bottom layer so that each spear cooks evenly and is easy and delicate to eat
Bring large pot of well-salted water to the boil with the olive oil and half a lemon squeezed in and added to the water; if you have a large enough pot add the asparagus all at once or, if you are working on a smaller scale, in two batches (make sure in this case to bring the water back up to the boil before placing the second round of asparagus in the water to ensure even cooking).
Cook asparagus in the water till just tender, which will take six to eight minutes depending on their size. They are ready just when you can spear them easily with a fork. Be careful to remove the smaller ones sooner if they vary in size!
Remove from water and place directly on a plate, cover, and set aside to cool. Refrigerate if needed to chill them quickly. These can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator well-covered.
Stir creme fraiche till it’s smooth, then fold in the parsley and your mixture of fresh herbs, lemon zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. This also can be made up to a day in advance and will keep well-covered in the refrigerator to serve the following day.
Plate asparagus spears with the thinly-sliced smoked salmon draped over them, give them a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of lemon juice to brighten the dish, and garnish with dollops of herbed creme fraiche. Use any leftover fresh herbs to pluck whole for a pretty garnish.
Ingredients
Salmon & Asparagus
- 8 oz Smoked Salmon, thinly sliced
- 24 spears Asparagus, White or Green, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Lemon
Herbed Creme Fraiche
- 6 oz Creme Fraiche
- 2 tablespoons Parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Mixed Fresh Herbs, finely chopped (like Tarragon, Dill, Chives, and/or Mint)
- 1 Lemon, Zest and Juice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring large pot of water to the boil; trim asparagus.
- Add the asparagus and cook till just tender. Remove from water and set aside to cool.
- Blend creme fraiche with fresh herbs, lemon zest and juice, and season to taste.
- Plate asparagus spears with smoked salmon draped over, garnish with dollops of herbed creme fraiche.
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