Darina Allen: Summer salads that will leave you grasping the opportunity to eat outside
Grasp every opportunity to eat outside and grab a picnic whenever you can and head for the beach, the woods or a river bank. I’m frightfully fussy about my picnic spots and putter along for ages trying to find the most idyllic spot near a babbling brook.
I love the sound of water or a pebbly strand. We also love to cook over a little driftwood fire or grill fish over the flames. We have a smoking box and a few repurposed biscuit tins to hot smoke fresh mackerel or pollock. All you need is a little clean sawdust and a wire rack inside. Fillet the fish, sprinkle with salt, leave for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, scatter a couple of spoons of sawdust into the bottom of the tin. Dab the fish dry and lay on the rack, skin-side down. We just snip a wire cake rack to fit. Put the box on the fire (or on your gas ring). When the sawdust starts to smoke, cover the tin and lightly allow to smoke for 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Take off the heat and keep covered for another 5-10 minutes to allow the smoke to penetrate. Serve while still warm with a dollop of dill mayo or aioli. Sawdust can be sourced easily from a fishing tackle shop. We collect our own when we are pruning apple trees, you’ll need to use a neutral oil in the chainsaw.
