Smoked Trout Salad with All the Spring Things

A few things to consider:

• I used smoked trout, but you could use smoked salmon or another type of smoked fish. You could also flake a non-smoked fish, like the foolproof salmon from a few weeks ago. 

• I salt the fennel and radish before, but this is totally optional. I like that the salt makes the veg a bit more malleable, while still retaining some crunch. 

• If you don’t have leeks, you could swap in crispy shallots, or even toasted breadcrumbs. The point is to have some crunch. 

• If you don’t have watermelon radishes, you can use regular radishes. Use 3 regular radishes to one large watermelon radish as a swap. 

• Save your fennel fronds to top on the salad! 

Serves 4

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced

• 1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 

• Greens of choice, to serve

• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 pound smoked trout, flaked 

Crispy Leeks

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

• 3 leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced 

• Kosher salt, to taste

Dressing

• Zest and juice of 2 lemons

• 1 large garlic clove, grated

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 teaspoon hot sauce such as Tapitio or Tabasco 

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Add the fennel and radish to a medium bowl with the salt and toss to combine. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. 

2. Arrange the greens, beans, trout, fennel, and radish on a serving platter. 

3. Make the crispy leeks: Heat the grapeseed oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the leeks to a paper towel–lined plate and season with salt. 

4. Make the dressing: In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the lemon zest and juice, garlic, mustard, honey, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. 

5. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and top with the crispy leeks. Serve immediately.