Salmon Salad with Fennel, Orange and Dill

Fresh, crisp and straight from the pan

This lunch is all about a simple contrast: warm, juicy salmon against cool, crisp fennel and juicy orange. Raw fennel has a mild anise flavor that becomes less pronounced when you slice the bulb very thinly. Use a mandoline if you have one, but a sharp chef’s knife works too; just try to make the slices as even as possible. A little salt and lemon juice will soften the fennel slightly without taking away its crunch.

Orange brings sweetness and moisture to the salad, while lemon in the vinaigrette sharpens the flavors. Cut the segments over a bowl so you can catch the juice and stir a spoonful of it into the dressing. The combination goes well with dill, whose fresh, slightly grassy aroma works with both salmon and citrus. Parsley rounds out the herbal flavor. If you only have dill, use a little extra; finely chopped chives can replace some of the parsley.

Cook the salmon in a hot frying pan with a thin layer of oil. This gives the outside some color while keeping the center juicy. Pat the fish dry beforehand and let it rest briefly after cooking; this makes it easier to break into large pieces. The exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillets. Look at the side: once the color has changed mostly from the bottom upwards and the center is still just glossy, the fish is usually beautifully juicy. It’s better to cook it for slightly less time and check than to let the salmon dry out without noticing.

Pumpkin seeds add a nutty flavor and a distinct crunchy accent. Toast them briefly in a dry frying pan and keep an eye on them: small seeds brown quickly. You can replace them with sunflower seeds or coarsely chopped hazelnuts. This salad is especially practical in the colder months, when citrus is plentiful, but fennel and oranges are generally easy to find outside that season too. Taste the dressing before serving; the sweetness of the oranges varies.

Serve the salad straight away while the salmon is still lukewarm, or let the fish cool first if you prefer a salad at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container within two hours and eat them within two days; if possible, store the salmon separately from the fennel and dressing. This lunch has plenty of variety on its own, but a slice of hearty bread goes well with it if you’d like a slightly more substantial meal.