Salmon wrapped in bacon with mustard potatoes

Name: Salmon wrapped in bacon with mustard potatoes
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 500g waxy potatoes, cut in 2cm pieces; 4 tbsp olive oil, plus a little for brushing; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard; pinch sugar; salt and pepper; 100g fennel, finely diced; handful frozen peas, blanched and chilled; 3 green onions, finely chopped (white and green parts); 1-2 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

July 14, 2014

Dinner-time cure: Salmon wrapped in bacon with mustard potatoes.Marcel Aucar

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

I find a lot of things taste better wrapped in bacon. Salmon, for example. Its rich flesh works well with the salty smokiness of bacon, and when you team them with mustard and potatoes all that's left to think about is what to drink. When looking for bacon, I'm after free-range, firm-fleshed slices that are juicy and deeply smoked.

Ingredients

For potatoes

500g waxy potatoes, cut in 2cm pieces
4 tbsp olive oil, plus a little for brushing
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
pinch sugar
salt and pepper
100g fennel, finely diced
handful frozen peas, blanched and chilled
3 green onions, finely chopped (white and green parts)
1-2 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

For fish

4 x 150g salmon fillets
4 slices streaky bacon
4 lemon thyme sprigs
1 lemon
1 tbsp sumac

Method

Cook potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes.
Make dressing by combining 4 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar (I usually put dressing ingredients in a small, lidded jar and give it a good shake until emulsified.) Check the seasoning.
Drain potatoes and tip into a bowl. Roughly smash them with a fork, before adding the dressing. Add the fennel, peas and green onions to the potatoes. Stir well to combine. Set aside to cool a little. When cool, stir through the dill and parsley. Don’t refrigerate before serving, the potatoes taste better at room temperature.
Heat the oven to 190C. Season the fish with black pepper and a small amount of salt. Wrap each piece of salmon with a bacon rasher.
Tuck a sprig of thyme under the bacon. Brush with a little oil and bake for 15-20 minutes until the fish is cooked and the bacon golden.
Squeeze lemon over fish. Place a small amount of potato salad on a plate, top with cooked salmon and sprinkle a little sumac over everything.
Tip: Cooking bacon in the oven or under the grill gives a crisper result and is a lot cleaner, with no splatter from a frypan.