Smoked Salmon, Goats cheese salad with mead dressing

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook time 3 mins
Serves 2

Ingredients

180ml mead (use 170ml white wine and 2 teaspoons honey if you can't get mead)
2 rye crackers Eg Ryvita
40g goat's cheese
60g low-fat cream cheese
16 asparagus tips
1/2 fennel bulb
1/4 cucumber
6 radishes
1/4 celery stick
2 spring onions
2 cooked beetroots
2 teaspoons chopped chervil
2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
2 smoked salmon fillets (approx 240g)

Directions

Bring the mead (or honey/white wine) to the boil and reduce to two tablespoons worth.

Crush the Ryvita with the end of a rolling pin to form a rough crumb texture.

Mix the two cheeses together with a wooden spoon and using two teaspoons push the mixture in to a small ball/dumpling shape. roll in the crumbs and repeat until you have between 6-8 quenelles.

Boil the asparagus for 3 minutes and then drain and rapidly cool in bowl of ice cold water. Thinly slice the fennel, cucumber, radish, celery, spring onions and beetroot. Set the beetroot and radish to the side, but add the rest to a bowl with the herb. 

Combine the mead with the oil in a lidded jar and shake to combine. Pour half on the salad and toss to coat. Arrange the quenelles, beetroot, radish and asparagus around the outside of your plate, pile up the salad and top with the flaked salmon. Drizzle the remaining dressing and some extra chervil.

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