Salad Niçoise With Poached Salmon

This is one of our favourite salads during the hot summer months; quite often some quick seared tuna (never canned tuna :)) is used instead of the poached salmon. Although we haven't had too many hot days this summer but it hasn't stopped me from making this delicious and healthy dish either. I am being a little safe here with the choice of vegetables used but feel free to add whatever vegetable that is in season at the moment.

P.S I am planning a Malaysian Monday post for Wednesday, request anyone?

serves 2 as a one dish meal
you'll need;
2 salmon fillets (200 to 250g each), poached and flaked
2 free range eggs, soft boiled and halved (4 minutes)
a handful of green beans, topped and tailed, blanched and refreshed
a handful of yellow beans, topped and tailed, blanched and refreshed
1 bunch of asparagus, halved, blanched and refreshed
2 kifller potato, boiled and cut into 1 cm rounds
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
20 black olives, pitted
2 shallots, sliced into rings
2 tbs of capers
a handful of basil, picked
homemade or good quality shop bought mayo to serve

for the poaching liquor;
1.5 litres of water
1 sprig of fresh thyme
a few basil stalks
2 to 3 slices of lemon
6 pepper corns
pinch of sea salt

for the dressing;
150 ml of good olive oil
50 ml of white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the vegetables and boil the potatoes until tender.

Blanch beans and asparagus and refresh under a running tap.

Bring the poaching liquor to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes before adding the salmon fillets. Cook the fish on very low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, remove leave to cool before flaking into large pieces.

Place all ingredients (except for the eggs and salmon) into a large salad bowl and dress with half of the dressing.

Divide salad into 2 portions and top with the poached salmon pieces and eggs and serve with some homemade or good quality shop bought mayo.