Rachel Khoo's Summer salad with a perfectly soft boiled egg
When you're craving a bit of crunch, there’s nothing quite like a raw salad to satisfy that urge. This crunchy shaved salad gets a main course makeover with the addition of a soft cooked egg and flaked smoked fish.
Ingredients
For the salad
For the dressing
Equipment
Method
Instructions
Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Use a speed peeler to make celery ribbons, then pat them with kitchen towel to remove the excess moisture. Repeat with asparagus. Toss the celeriac, apple and celery with the dressing in a serving bowl. Add the peas.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Pierce the larger end of the egg with a pin and gently lower each egg into the hot water. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and begin timing. Allow 6 minutes for large eggs and 5 minutes for medium, then remove and run under cold water. peel the eggs.
Peel off the skin of the fish and flake the flesh into the bowl with the salad. Gently mix together before dividing between serving plates and placing an egg on top. Scatter with the chives.
Tips
1. Don't fret about the freshness of your eggs. When it comes to boiled eggs, the older they are the easier you’ll find them to peel.
2. If using asparagus for this salad, snap the ends off, the stem will naturally snap at the point where the woody part of the asparagus begins. No need to cut. Peeling the stems finely on a speed peeler is a lovely way of preparing them, creating delicate wisps/ribbons from them which are delicious raw.
3. A mandoline is a really useful piece of kitchen kit that does away with the need for super advanced knife skills. It allows you to slice really fine, even slices at high speed. Just be sure to use your finger guard, the blades are very sharp and especially effective on finger tips!!
4. Peas are spring in the freezer. While I love a fresh pea popped from its pod, peas are an essential in my freezer and my kids love them.
5. While shopping for really fresh fish can sometimes be a challenge if you aren’t by the coast, opting for a smoked fish, which will store well in the fridge for as long as 14 days if not longer if well sealed and packed (check your individual packets though).
6. If you don’t have white wine vinegar any other vinegar would work well: red wine, sherry, balsamic.
7. If you are shaving the celeriac ahead of time, you can stop it discoloring by adding a little lemon juice to a bowl of water.
