a favourite sandwich: hot-smoked salmon and goat's cheese

hot-smoked salmon and goat's cheese sandwich

My favourite sandwich is a pure serendipity; the happy accident of what I like and what is usually in my fridge. It is merely the assembly of slices of fresh sourdough bread (homemade, she says smugly), a smear of goats cheese (I include the rind as I like its tangy flavour and velvety texture), layer with a few slices of baby plum tomatoes and sprinkle with flakes of hot-smoked salmon.


You could use cold-smoked salmon but I prefer the hot-smoked stuff; less colourful than it's colder sibling, but full of smoky flavour. You will find that there is a slightly hard, brown outer layer to the salmon, which is produced by a combination of the brining and then the hot smoking process. It is full of the smoky flavour and should be used at all costs.

A trip to visit my father in Yorkshire sends me back to London with nearly my own body weight in hot-smoked salmon. Henry (my dear papa) has a very good relationship with a local fishmonger, who sources his hot-smoked salmon from a smokery in Grimsby and gets in extra supplies when he knows I'm around. It is vacuum-packed and on arrival in London is frozen for future use, without any noticeable deterioration in either flavour or texture.

And if you're wondering what else to do with your hot-smoked salmon, it can be served warm (just wrap it up in lightly oiled foil and warm in the oven for a few minutes) and is perfect with pasta or with scrambled eggs.

serves: 1
skill level: Easy

ingredients:
2 x slices of good quality bread (an artisan sourdough works very well)
soft goats cheese (with or without the rind), at room temperature
hot-smoked salmon (or trout)
baby plum tomatoes, finely sliced
wild rocket leaves (watercress, or a mixture of baby salad leaves)
fresh lemon juice (optional)
freshly ground black pepper (optional)

directions:

1. Lay your slices of bread on a chopping board.
2. Smear one side of each slice of bread with a (thin) layer of goats cheese (rind and all!)
3. Cover the cheese with baby plum tomato slices.
4. Sprinkle over flakes of hot-smoked salmon.
5. Grind over a little black pepper (depending on how peppery you like your sandwiches. If you are using rocket or watercress, you may not want the extra "bite").
6. A quick splash of lemon juice (optional).
7. Press a small handful of the rocket (or salad) leaves onto each slice.
8. Put the bread slices together and slice in two.
9. Eat well.