Smoked Haddock, Fingerling Potatoes, Crisp Apples and Thick Cut Bacon

For the salad

1 pound smoked haddock, fresh or frozen

1 bay leaf

1 crisp apple

1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

⅓ pound thick cut bacon strips, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 shallot, peeled and very thinly sliced

8 fingerling potatoes, sliced in half

For the dressing

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons crème fraîche or clotted cream

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste

If the haddock is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Then place fish in a frying pan and cover with water. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook until flesh softens, about 10 minutes. Pour off water and discard bay leaf. Let fish cool on a plate. Flake fish into bite sized pieces.

Place the potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with water. Salt well. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Make the salad dressing: Mash garlic in mortar and pestle with a big pinch of Kosher salt to a paste. Coat the interior of the mortar bowl with the garlic paste. Add the apple cider vinegar, Dijon, lemon juice and crème fraiche and mix with mortar until thoroughly combined. Then mix in the olive oil and cracked black pepper.

Place a frying pan on the stove over medium heat. Add bacon and render fat slowly. Cook until the meat begins to crisp, about 10 minutes. Pour off half of the fat into the pestle with the salad dressing and mix. Add the shallots to the frying pan, along with the bacon and place over medium heat. Cook until they soften and then begin to crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Place Bibb lettuce in a large wooden bowl. Cut apple into thin slices and scatter over top. Once cooled, add bacon and shallots. Then distribute potatoes and the smoked haddock across the salad and toss with half the dressing. Taste and add more dressing in necessary or serve additional dressing alongside the salad.

From Issue

No. 03 / Winter 2018