Avocat au saumon fumé

Avocado with smoked salmon

This makes a colorful, tangy starter that you can serve any time of the year. The key to success is in the ingredients. The avocados must be perfectly ripe — you may want to buy them a few days ahead of time to allow them to ripen at home. And the smoked salmon is prettiest served in cubes, so choose thick slices if possible.

The recipe is very quick, and most of the preparation can be done ahead of time. The version below uses lemon juice and fresh dill. For a variation, substitute lime juice and fresh cilantro. Vegetarians can omit the salmon and double the quantity of fresh herbs.

The recipe will serve two people as a starter, or one person as a light course at lunchtime, accompanied by a salad and some crusty bread.

2-1/2 ounces (70 g) thick-cut smoked salmon
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic
1 ripe avocado

Cut the smoked salmon into small cubes — or, if it’s not thick cut, small strips. Place in a bowl. Add the fresh dill and stir. Set aside.

In another bowl, stir together the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the salt and grind in some black pepper. Peel and halve the garlic clove and add.

You can interrupt preparation at this point, placing the salmon in the fridge.

Just before serving, slice the avocado in half and remove the pit. Remove the garlic from the sauce. Spoon 2 tsp. of sauce into the cavity of each avocado half. Stir the remaining sauce into the salmon. Pile the salmon onto the avocado halves.

Serves 2 as a starter, or 1 as a light main course.

This recipe is adapted from ‘Simplissime’ by J.-F. Mallet.