Salmon with Garlic Leaf Pesto, Crushed Jersey Royal and Asparagus

This dish of Salmon with Garlic Leaf Pesto, Crushed Jersey Royal and Asparagus by top chef Philip Howard is a real celebration of Spring. Jersey Royals are delicate and are not starchy. Philip adds a mint to the water while they are resting for that fresh burst of flavour. This is happy food!

Ingredients

  • 4x 150g portions of salmon (or sea trout)
  • 300g Jersey Royal potatoes, scrubbed clean
  • 6 spring onions
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 50g toasted pine nuts
  • 40g wild garlic
  • 50g olive oil
  • 25g Berkswell cheese
  • 16 spears of extra elect asparagus
  • 4x medium cos lettuce leaves

Method

Cook the Jersey Royals until just tender in salted water. Remove from the heat, add the mint to the water and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes, reserving some of the cooking water. Crush the potatoes with a fork, add the butter and enough of the cooking water to create a wonderful rich mix. Finely chop the spring onions and add to the mix. Reserve warm.

Toast the pine nuts in an oven preheated to 150 degrees C, until golden. Set aside to cool. Blend with the garlic leaf, parmesan and rapeseed oil – to a coarse textured pesto. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the salmon and fry gently in butter until just coloured. Turn the fillets over and cook gently for a further minute or two. Allow to rest for 2 minutes.

Trim the asparagus and blanch in well salted water until just tender. Add the cos lettuce leaves for the last 20 seconds. Drain.

Spoon the crushed Jersey Royals onto the centre of the plate and flatten out slightly. Top with the asparagus and then the fish. Add some pesto to the fish cooking juices and stir to create a sauce. Spoon over the fish.

Ingredients

  • 4x 150g portions of salmon (or sea trout)
  • 300g Jersey Royal potatoes, scrubbed clean
  • 6 spring onions
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 50g toasted pine nuts
  • 40g wild garlic
  • 50g olive oil
  • 25g Berkswell cheese
  • 16 spears of extra elect asparagus
  • 4x medium cos lettuce leaves

Method

Cook the Jersey Royals until just tender in salted water. Remove from the heat, add the mint to the water and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes, reserving some of the cooking water. Crush the potatoes with a fork, add the butter and enough of the cooking water to create a wonderful rich mix. Finely chop the spring onions and add to the mix. Reserve warm.

Toast the pine nuts in an oven preheated to 150 degrees C, until golden. Set aside to cool. Blend with the garlic leaf, parmesan and rapeseed oil – to a coarse textured pesto. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the salmon and fry gently in butter until just coloured. Turn the fillets over and cook gently for a further minute or two. Allow to rest for 2 minutes.

Trim the asparagus and blanch in well salted water until just tender. Add the cos lettuce leaves for the last 20 seconds. Drain.

Spoon the crushed Jersey Royals onto the centre of the plate and flatten out slightly. Top with the asparagus and then the fish. Add some pesto to the fish cooking juices and stir to create a sauce. Spoon over the fish.