Le petit jardin

I got inspired by this idea after reading a salad recipe by Christine Manfield, an Australian chef.  Making this was like doing a mini garden more precise like a pot and soil recipe for planting, the result was an adorable tiny salad. I think this recipe is just an idea to be developed with ingredients that you prefer, more like a tip to later continue in your own way. In this case I know there are many steps to follow to make these little treasures, but that is what makes it special: all the details and care inside.

For the sweet and sour dressing start by making a syrup adding chili, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil.

Each mini garden will have "planted" tiny sticks of apple, celery, spring onion, oranges, little leaves of cilantro, kaffir, alfalfa sprouts and sunflower sprouts.

At the bottom I added smoked shredded trout with green mango ginger relish.

I carried them to the table on a tray served in small plates so that each person could add the dressing themselves and then place them on their plates. 

Ingredients (serves four)

 4oz  slices smoke salmon  (I use wild Alaskan)

1 smoke trout 

1 small apple 

2 celery  stalks

2 spring onion

2 spoons of salmon roe

alfalfa sprouts

sunflower sprouts

For the relish

1 green mango ( peeled and cut into matchsticks)

1 shallot ( thinly sliced)

1 red chili ( finely chopped)

1 green chili ( finely chopped)

1 tbs ginger ( grated)

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs cilantro( finely chopped)

pinch of salt

For the dressing

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup water

1 red chili

1 garlic clove

1 tbs sesame oil

11/2 soy sauce

2 tbs cider vinegar

1 tbs mirrim

For the dressing

In a saucepan I placed the water and sugar to medium heat, stirred to dissolve until reduced to a syrup  and added the rest of ingredients, bringing them to a boil and simmering over low heat for about 10 minutes until reduced. Strain into a sieve and chill until used.

For the relish 

In a saucepan add the sugar and heat until it is dissolved. Add the shallot and chilies and continue to stir. Add the water, vinegar, ginger, mangoes, cilantro and salt. Mix well. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes until the mangos are soft.

Thinly shred the apples, celery, spring onion, cilantro, kaffir leaves and cut the orange into segments. Assemble the slices of salmon into little pots, add inside a little of the smoked shredded trout followed by the green mango ginger relish and stack some shredded apple, celery, spring onion, cilantro, kaffir leaves, little segments of oranges, alfalfa sprouts, the sunflower sprouts and the salmon roe.

When serving drizzle with the sweet and sour dressing.

Little gardens are ready to eat.