A no-cook assembly of shop-bought cooked grains, crunchy raw veg and smoked fish
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
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Most supermarkets do own-label bags of cooked mixed grains (sometimes with lentils), but I prefer a mixture of spelt and barley for this. You could also use one based mostly on bulgar wheat. Get the dressing on to the grains quickly so they have time to soak it up a little, then get on with the rest of the preparation.
Overview
Prep time
20 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 250g mixed cooked grains
- 1 tsp English mustard
- ¼ tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 3½ tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 packet dill, leaves roughly chopped
- 125g crème fraiche
- 2 preserved lemons, plus 1 tbsp juice from the jar
- 1 clove garlic, grated to a purée
- 125g cooked beetroot
- 75g radishes, very finely sliced
- 50g watercress (any coarse stems removed)
- 4 fillets hot-smoked salmon
Method
Step
Tumble 250g mixed cooked grains into a serving bowl.
Step
Put 1 tsp English mustard, ¼ tbsp lemon juice, ¾ tbsp white balsamic vinegar and some seasoning into a cup or small bowl and, using a fork, whisk in 3½ tbsp rapeseed oil.
Step
Toss the grains with this and the roughly chopped dill, then taste – you may want to add more seasoning.
Step
Put 125g crème fraîche into a small bowl.
Step
Halve the 2 preserved lemons and remove the fleshy insides (discard) so that you are left with the skins. Slice these finely and stir into the crème fraîche, along with 1 tbsp preserved lemon juice from the jar, the 1 grated garlic clove and some seasoning.
Step
Cut 125g cooked beetroot into slim wedges and add them to the grains along with 75g very finely sliced radishes and 50g watercress. Toss everything together.
Step
Serve the 4 hot-smoked salmon fillets with a spoonful of the crème fraîche and spoonfuls of the salad.