salmon salad with green goddess dressing

the weather in london has turned chilly and it seems ages since we were basking in the warm summer sunshine. however, i am hopeful that sunny days will return and will enjoy recreating this bill granger recipe for salmon salad with green goddess dressing.

the original green goddess salad was, apparently, created at the palace hotel in san franciso for the british actor george arliss who was appearing in a local production of william archer's the green goddess. the classic recipe for this californian dressing are anchovies, mayonnaise, garlic, tarragon, parsley and chives.

bill granger’s recipe is lighter, focussing on herbs and watercress with a mix of mayonnaise and yoghurt. i went with an even lighter version, omitting the mayo as well. however, this is obviously a forgiving recipe and quite happy to be adapted according to whatever you have in. it’s also a great accompaniment for the rest of the salad, which has a lovely balance of flavours – the richness of the avocado and the salmon is balanced by the grapefruit and tangy dressing.

bill granger’s crisp skinned salmon salad with green goddess dressing (serves 4)

1 pink grapefruit

4 salmon fillets, with skin

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

100g green beans, trimmed

2 large handfuls of watercress leaves

1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley

1 large handful of mint

1 ripe avocado, sliced

green goddess dressing

1 large handful of watercress leaves

100g yoghurt

2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise (i omitted this)

1 large handful of mixed herbs such as dill, basil, mint and parsley

2 spring onions, chopped

juice of 1/2 a lemon

to make the dressing, pulse all ingredients in a blender or food processor, adding a little more yoghurt or water if needed. refrigerate until required.

segment the grapefruit by first slicing off both ends. stand fruit on a board and following its curve slice off peel and pith with a very sharp knife. cut out grapefruit segments by slicing between membranes.

heat a frying pan over medium to high heat for 2 minutes. brush salmon with oil and season. cook skin side down for 3 minutes, then turn over and cook for 1 minute; salmon should be quite rare with the skin crisp. remove from pan and leave to rest for 2 minutes.

blanche the beans in a pan of slightly salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until bright green and tender yet crisp. rinse under cold water and drain well.

arrange watercress, parsley, mint, avocado, beans and grapefruit on serving plates. slice salmon and place on top, drizzle with green goddess dressing and season with sea salt to serve.