Le Petit Jardin

I got inspired to make this petit jardin salad after reading a salad recipe by Christine Manfield, an Australian chef. Making this was like doing a mini garden, more precisely, like a pot and soil recipe for planting, where 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 so you can 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.

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 used wild Alaskan)

1 smoke trout
1 small apple
2 celery  stalks
2 spring onions
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 tablespoon ginger (grated)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon 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 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon mirrim

For the dressing
In a saucepan I placed the water and sugar over medium heat, stirred to dissolve until reduced to a syrup. Added the rest of ingredients, brought them to a boil and simmered 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 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, inside add 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.