Roasted Salmon Nicoise Platter

Ladies Lunch (cont.) …

As I discussed earlier, yesterday I had lunch at my friend, Christina Sethi’s, house. Our other friend Amanda was there as well, and we had a wonderful day of cooking and eating. While we were all baking, Christina made this beautiful lunch for us. It is an Ina Garten recipe and its simplicity truly let all of  the ingredients shine. The marinade on the salmon made it pop and the champagne vinaigrette was a perfect dressing, bringing out the flavors of the veggies but not overpowering them.

If you’re having lunch with a bunch of friends, this is a great idea. Christina put it together without us even noticing, and before you knew it, the table was set. We paired the dish with a glass of sauvignon blanc and a dollop of gossip. All in all, what a great day.

Check out what we had for dessert… molten chocolate cake with a butterscotch sauce!

Recipe: Salmon Nicoise by Ina Garten and cooked with love by Christina Sethi

(Christina halved this recipe and it was more than enough for 3 ladies… but Foozle and Bandit , her adorable dogs, were happy to have the leftovers)

Ingredients

• 4 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 pounds skin-on fresh salmon fillets
• 3 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 1/2 pounds haricots verts, stems removed
• 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (6 small tomatoes)
• 12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in 1/2
• 1 bunch watercress or arugula
• 1/2 pound large green olives, pitted
• 1 can anchovies, optional

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

For the marinade, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard, garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1/2 tablespoon pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the salmon on a sheet pan that has been covered in aluminum foil, and drizzle the marinade over the salmon. Allow the salmon to sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot off the heat and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Leave the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but firm. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in thick slices and set aside.

Place the salmon in the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is almost cooked through. Remove to a plate and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the skin and break into large pieces.

Blanch the haricots verts in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes only. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water. Drain again and set aside.

For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Set aside.

Arrange the salmon, potatoes, haricots verts, tomatoes, eggs, watercress, olives and anchovies, if used, on a large flat platter. Drizzle some vinaigrette over the fish and vegetables and serve the rest in a pitcher on the side.