smoked salmon on a bed of green leaves |
Christmas is all about tradition, and some things like the Christmas menu never change.
The main course is a foregone conclusion but what about the starter? What do you do?
I do sometimes think about having something different but in the end, I really do believe that some lightly dressed salad leaves with cucumber and tomatoes draped with a slice of smoked salmon to make it special, is the best. It looks elegant, everybody loves it, and best of all, it can be prepared in advance. No need to change!
The festivities are not over so you may like the idea of starting yet another party dinner with this: all you need is a packet or two of smoked salmon, some lettuce – I favour marul/romaine as I love the crispness of the leaves and the way they hold their shape – mixed with some different types for both colour and texture contrast. Roka/rocket is also good. I slice them fairly thinly.
preparing the ingredients including spring onions too beforehand |
I buy the small çengel-type cucumbers, probably known as Lebanese abroad, as they are firm and not watery like other varieties. I wash them but apart from trimming the ends, don’t peel them. Get out the mandolin slicer and slice them paper thin. That dark green skin looks decorative.
Christmas lunch with the salmon in place |
Buy the kokteyl domates or little cherry tomatoes: at this time of year they taste much better than the other sorts. But apart from anything else, halved, sometimes quartered if a little big, they look pretty. I’m a great one for appearance! I like to use dereotu or dill for this very reason: those delicate green feathery fronds add an elegant touch to any salad, especially lightly sprinkled round the edge of each plate.
afiyet olsun! |
In the kitchen beforehand, then, I get out my huge wooden salad bowl a couple of hours before we are due to eat, put the washed and dried salad leaves in it and cover with a slightly damp tea cloth. Whatever you do, don’t add any dressing until the last minute as the whole lot will go soggy. I don’t add any of the other ingredients either.
Rather, I prepare them, place them on single plates and cover with clingfilm to await further developments. I wash and chop the dill finely and do the same. I take the jar of capers out of the fridge and set out the individual plates I am going to use. You could use little quail eggs or black olives too.
dividing the salad ingredients and the smoked salmon onto individual plates |
I also prepare the salad dressing in a jam jar so I can give it a good shake before using. I usually make a vinaigrette with olive oil, lemon juice and French mustard, well-seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper. However, this year, I didn’t. I actually used a ready-made dressing! This is something I NEVER do but we recently had dinner with friends and the salad there was beautifully seasoned. I asked what the dressing was and lo and behold, it was one of those little Knorr packets, this one was basil or fesleğen, simplicity itself. And of course being Turkish, she gave me several to take home with me. Well, folks, this may be the beginning of the end, but I highly recommend this ready-made dressing!
When the time comes, I am all ready: into the kitchen, a vigourous shake of the dressing in its jar so that all the ingredients are well mixed, and pour it over the lettuce leaves. Mix them well then divide up and serve on each plate.
Take your other ingredients and arrange them decoratively on top and finish with the slice of smoked salmon. A little drizzle of extra olive oil may be a good idea here as well as another grind of black pepper as it looks good. After adding the final touch of the chopped dill, away to the table they go!
Afiyet olsun and Merry Christmas!
what a gorgeous table! the salad looks so good too!
Lovely – wish we were there with you!
I love the salad with olives & tomatoes