FISH SALADS
Fish dishes and summer seem to go together. Perhaps it’s because people flock to the seashore then and enjoy the fresh catch of the day or possibly it’s because fishing, sea or fresh water, is a warm weather sport. Maybe it’s just because fish is lighter, easer to eat and cook, more digestible and, surprisingly, more filling than other meats.
In any case, fish salads are a perfect menu solution, especially as summer turns to fall and schedules become crowded, but the weather stays warm. Most of the ingredients can be bought prepared or readied ahead to be tossed and/or plated at serving. Below are 12 recipes, several of which allow for a choice of fish. I have stuck to easily available types of fish and offered more wallet friendly choices, when possible.
First a few tips on preparing fish for salads. When using tuna, drain the packing liquid by turning the can upside down while holding the opened lid against the contents to keep them in place. If it’s oil packed, you may want to remove the oil by fillng the can with water and re-draining it a few times.
The frozen salmon fillets, sold in packs, are nicer and better value than canned. The fillets, and all other fish mentioned here, except for the smoked items and the tuna, need to be cooked but that’s only a matter of a few minutes poaching.
If you need to remove the skin from a fish fillet, consult my post of Sept. 25, 2013. If you choose to buy fresh fish see the posting for April 16, 2015 for tips. If you want more tuna recipes see Mar. 7, 2019 or salmon see Feb. 15, 2018. For additional fish recipes, click on the Archives or scan the panorama at the top of our Home Page. For information on how and what seafood to choose and buy, and recipes for using it. I recommend my book All About Seafood available on this site and Kindle.
The best cooking method for these items is poaching. Simply slide the fish into simmering water, return to a simmer and cook for 3-5 min. (5-8min. for fish steaks) until the fish is opaque and flakes. Immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking, then plate, cover with plastic wrap and chill. This is the approved method for shrimp and scallops too-the shrimp until they turn pink and the scallops until they are opaque-about 5 min. longer for larger ones. Purchase lobster and crab boiled.
For the dried fish, remove the head and tail, open the fish and remove the bones, then peel the skin off the fillets and gently break the flesh into bite sized pieces. The directions for the canned mackerel are with the recipe, but it’s basically the same actions.
In all the recipes, you can adjust the portions with the amount of greens you use.
RECIPES
SALAD NICOISE: Serves 6 – 8
1 lb. fresh whole or cut green beans – frozen is fine
6-8 small new potatoes – halved if larger – keep size uniform-canned will do – drained
(2) 6 oz. cans solid white Albacore tuna in water – drained* DO NOT use ‘chunk’ tuna
(1) 5 ¾ oz. can pitted black olives
4 hard-boiled eggs – quartered
4 Roma or small tomatoes – quartered- OR 1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes
Bibb lettuce or Romaine
Optional add-ons – (1) 15 oz. can of pickled beets and/or 6-8 anchovy fillets
Cook the beans, and potatoes if raw, until crisp tender. A special flavor is added if they are marinated in a little white wine for a few hours.
Line a large platter with the lettuce leaves. Gently fork-separate the tuna chunks and mound them at 6 O’clock on the plate. Mound the potatoes at 12 and decoratively distribute the other ingredients separately in mounds evenly around the plate, except the anchovies. If using, they should be laid across the tuna. The mounds can be pie shaped wedges, pointing to the center, or the center can be filled with fresh herbs or chopped lettuce pieces. If using the beets, the black olives can be piled in the center. The point is to arrange the plate as decoratively as possible but have it appear as a miniature buffet, with each of the ingredients presented individually for ease of self-serving.
Serve with the dressing created for this salad, below.
*NOTE: This can also be served with (1) 4 to 5 oz. grilled or broiled tuna steak per serving.|
Nicoise Dressing:
Serves 6- 8
4Tbs. minced shallots – or mild onions
2 Tbs. dry mustard – 4 of Dijon can be used
5 drops of hot sauce
5Tbs red wine vinegar
3Tbs fresh lemon juice – 2 tsp. of concentrated will do
2 ½ cups salad oil.
Mix the ingredients well and allow to meld for several hours. Drizzle a little over the Tuna, and serve the rest on the side
WHITE BEAN and TUNA SALAD: Serves 4
(1) 6 oz. can solid white tuna – drained
(1) 15 oz. can white beans – navy, or cannellini
1 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1Tbs. dried basil (3Tbs. fresh chopped) + more for garnish
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic – mashed OR ¼ tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Romaine or Bib lettuce
Gently toss first 2 ingredients together. Combine everything but the lettuce to make the dressing. and mix with tuna and beans. Allow to marinate about 1 hour. Line 4 plates with the lettuce and divide salad among them. Garnish with dried basil or fresh basil. This salad can be served chilled, but the flavors are better if it’s allowed to warm close to room temperature.
Salmon and Spinach Salad: Serves 4
2 cups cooked salmon in pieces-about 4 frozen fillets, poached and broken into bite-sized pieces
2 cucumbers peeled and in thin slices
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
1 Tbs. capers
8 oz. salad spinach leaves or more optionally mixed with other greens
2 plum tomatoes in large dice
1/3 cup chopped scallions
Dressing
1cup mayonnaise flavored to taste with dill or tarragon or ½ cup vinaigrette of choice
Tear the greens to bite size and toss in a bowl with the cucumbers, capers, tomatoes and fish, divide among plates and top with scallions. Pass the dressing.
Optionally this salad can be served with the fish prepared in either of the two ways below and placed to the side of the salad, omitting the tomatoes. I prefer the salad, in these presentations, to be lightly tossed with vinaigrette and the sauce, if serving the poached version, be confined to the fish.
Poached Salmon with Sauce*: Serves 4
1 ½ lbs. of salmon fillets or steaks
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Bring water to cover and lemon juice to a boil and reduce to an even simmer. Slide fish in gently and cook about 8-10 min. per pound until the flesh turns pale pink and flakes easily. Remove from heat, run fish under cold water to stop cooking and remove skin, and spine bone, if still there in steaks. Serve at room temp or chill on a covered plate at least 30 min.
Sauce: Can be made the night before-keep covered and chilled
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup sour cream
1 ½ tsp. dill weed or to taste
Mix all ingredients well and allow flavors to meld several hours in the refrigerator. Add more dill to taste if needed. Serve dolloped over fish.
Grilled Balsamic Salmon*: Serves 4 (*Not valid if using a double-contact grill)
4 salmon fillets
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat grill (I use a George Foreman for this)or broiler, place rack about 4 inches from heat and lightly oil or place fish on a lightly oiled pan or piece of foil. Cook fish about 5-8 min. until lightly browned and it flakes easily. Brush liberally on both sides with vinegar; add salt and pepper to taste, plate and sprinkle with dill. Serve hot or room temperature.
Marinated Shrimp Salad: Serves 4 – from James Beard’s American Cookery
2 lb. cooked, shelled, deveined shrimp
6 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill or 1 ½ tsp. dried
1 garlic clove-crushed
1-2 Tbs. chopped onion
1 Tbs. chopped parsley
1-2 Tbs. vinegar of choice –optionally more to taste
¼ tsp. Tabasco
Greens sufficient for 4 servings, torn in item sized pieces.
Combine all the ingredients, but the greens and marinate, chilled, at least 6 hr. Serve shrimp with marinade over greens.
Shrimp Louis: Serves 4
2 lb. cooked, peeled, deveined, chilled shrimp
4 hard boiled eggs-quartered
2 Tbs. chopped parsley-for garnish
Greens sufficient for 4 servings-preferably Romaine or green leaf lettuce
Louis Dressing-from James Beard’s American Cookery
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup whipped cream
2/3 cup chilli sauce
1 Tbs. grated onion
Pinch cayenne
Modern Lamaze Dressing-an option
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup ketchup
Pinch mace or large pinch nutmeg.
Plate the greens, top with the shrimp, spoon over choice of sauce, and pass the rest. . Arrange 1 egg around the salad on each plate and garnish with parsley.
Marinated Mackerel Salad: Serves 2-Optionally use sardines, preferably skinless and boneless
(1) 10 oz. can jack mackerel
1 small cucumber-peeled and seeded
¼ small onion in thin rings
Vinegar-red wine or cider
Olive oil
Sugar? See directions
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Greens-preferably Romaine or red or green leaf lettuce-torn
Slice the cucumber and put in a bowl with salt. Allow to stand 10 min. or until the cucumber ‘weeps’. Drain and rinse several times, cover with cold water chill until it re-crisps and store chilled. (Ice cubes speed this up.) Remove the fillets from the can and gently rub off the skin with a blunt knife. Open the fillets and remove the bones. Place the fillets flat in a glass or plastic container and add just cover with vinegar, add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper to lightly coat. Repeat layers if necessary. Allow to marinate, covered, chilled, at least 6 hr. and up to several days. When ready to serve, remove fillets add oil and, if needed sugar, to the marinade to make the salad dressing. Toss the other ingredients with the dressing, break the meat into bite-sized pieces and gently fold into the salad. Plate and serve.
White Fish and Spinach Salad: Serves 4- From Practical Fish & Seafood by Paragon Press. Any firm, mild tasting white fleshed fish can be used for this-tilapia, skate, monkfish, cod, Pollack , even scallops
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried
1 Tbs. black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 lemon-quartered
1 small red onion –thinly sliced
1 lbs. oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. raisins
2 Tbs. pine nuts-or toasted slivered almonds
1 Tbs. brown sugar
12 oz. baby spinach
Poach the fish in the next 3 ingredients and then let stand 20 min. before draining. Microwave the onion, garlic and pepper flakes for 1 min. add the sugar, raisins, nuts and microwave 1 min. more. Gently fold the ingredients into the spinach, add the fish and fold again.
Smoked Fish and Apple Salad: Serves 4-From Quick and Easy by Paragon Press –Whitefish and mackerel are found in most supermarkets. Trout, cod and large sardines are also options.
1 whole smoked fish-about ¾ lb. fish or 6-8 oz.
2 large red apples
2 Tbs. French dressing
Arugula
Dressing
½ cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. horseradish
Milk-optional to thin if needed
Chopped chives to garnish
Quarter and core the apples, leaving skin on, and cut in thin slices or bite-sized cubes and toss with the French dressing. Gently remove the fish skin and bones and break the flesh into bite-sized pieces. Whisk the dressing ingredients together adding milk if needed. Arrange the apples and fish on the arugula drizzle with the dressing and garnish with the chives.
Lobster and Crab are far too expensive and delicate in taste and to be mixed with numerous ingredients. Their meat shines best when presented simply on greens with light vinaigrette and a hard-boiled egg on the side.
However, for creamy ‘crab’ and ‘lobster’ salads Louis Kemp products offer an answer, and are wonderful for stuffing vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, avocados, simply bedded on lettuce or rolled in a tortilla. They are made of surimi, composed mainly of Alaskan Pollock, starches and actual crab or lobster meat for flavor. The trick is, again, to limit add-ins and dressing. The first should be finely diced to avoid distracting from the texture of the meat, and the second limited to only enough to hold the mixture together not overpower the taste. The general rule is
Per 1 lb. Louis Kemp product—1/2 cup celery and 2-3 slices onion
In addition to the Louis, Lamaze, and yogurt (minus the horseradish) dressings above, the recommended commercial choices are: Ranch, Thousand Island, Russian, Tartar Sauce or the following from justapinch.com:
¼ cup light ranch dressing
½ cup mayonnaise-light
1 tsp. sweet relish
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all together. Store chilled.
