Lots of big salads this time of year. After working long days in the hot sun, I don’t have a lot of energy left at the end of the day (hottest July on record; call it global warming or not, no doubt the climate is getting hotter). Just barely enough energy to whip up some type of salad of sorts. Something light and refreshing but also hearty enough to fill me up. And of course, tasty as well.

If you’ve ever had a Thai green papaya salad, this salad reminds me of it a bit. It still has that spicy, salty, tangy fish sauce dressing. But, instead of green papaya, I opted for something local — a combo of shredded red and green cabbage and fennel (all from the farm I work on) for crunch. You can make the dressing as spicy as you like by adding more or less bird’s eye chiles. I like it more on the spicy side.

The salmon (used wild Sockeye) gets a quick marinade and then cooked briefly in a skillet. No more than a few minutes per side. You still want it to retain a hint of pinkness.

I also added a bunch of fresh herbs, my favorite Thai basil, and mint, which adds another layer of herbaceous flavor. Lastly, can’t have a salad without some type of crunchy topping. Thus, added fried shallots, fried garlic, and a handful of chopped, roasted peanuts. I was lazy and used store-bought fried shallots.

Enjoy!

This is Thai basil. One of my favorite herbs. It has a taste all its own. A sweet, anise-licorice-y flavor profile…

Make the fried shallots and garlic in advance. Save the tasty infused oils for other uses…

The salmon should still have a hint of pinkness inside…

Salmon Salad

Inspired by here
Serves 4-6 as part of a shared meal
8 ounces salmon fillet, skin and bones removed
1/2 cup Pickled vegetables (daikon and carrot); recipe below
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Red and white cabbage, thinly sliced, about 1 cup of each
Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
Handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
Handful Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped

For serving:
Copped, roasted peanuts
Fried red Asian shallots (instructions here) or store-bought
Fried garlic chips (instructions here)
1 red bird’s eye chile, sliced

Salmon Marinade

1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 red bird’s eye chile, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking the fish

Combine the salmon marinade ingredients — garlic, sugar or honey, fish sauce and chile — in a bowl, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the salmon and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. When hot, add the fish. Cook 3 minutes, flip and cook 2 minutes. Flip once more and cook another 2 minutes until medium rare, making sure it is well colored on the outside (cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your fish and type of salmon used). Remove from the heat and allow the salmon to rest for 5 minutes. Roughly flake the salmon flesh into a bowl, removing any small bones.

Combine the vegetables and herbs in a bowl. Add the flaked salmon. Toss with dressing.

Garnish with the chopped, peanuts, fried shallots, garlic chips and bird’s eye Chile.

Salad Dressing

Makes 1 cup
1/4 cup fish sauce 
1/4 cup rice vinegar 
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-3 red birdseye Chile, finely chopped 
2 tablespoons lime juice

Place fish sauce, vinegar, sugar and water in a pan over medium heat and stir to combine. Bring mixture to just below boiling point, then set aside to cool. Add garlic, chilli and lime juice, and stir to combine.

Pickled Carrot and Daikon

1 large carrot, peeled, cut into batons
1 small daikon radish, peeled, cut into batons
3 tablespoons fine sugar
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

In a bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, water, and salt. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over vegetables. Let marinate at least 1 hour before eating, or refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.