Hot smoked snapper salad with kaffir lime

Freshly manuka-smoked fish is, for me, one of the seven culinary wonders of New Zealand. Enjoying the wafts of smoke from my grandfather’s homemade smoker at his bach when I was little fella, has been etched in my memory. Recreating those flavours at Vinnies for guests to taste is one of my most rewarding challenges. Smoked fresh fish with kaffir lime creme fraiche is one of our signature summer starters. This recipe is a simple holiday version that can be enjoyed at home, at the bach or on the beach.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups	Baby potatoes, cooked and sliced
2 cups	Smoked snapper, hot (Main)
1 cup	Papaya, diced
½ cup	Celery, sliced, I like to peel it to remove the strings
1 cup	Feta, diced

Kaffir lime dressing

1 cup	Creme fraiche
3	Kaffir lime leaves, very finely chopped
1 pinch	Salt

Directions

1. Flake the snapper, being careful to remove all the bones, scales and any dark brown flesh.
2. Arrange all the salad ingredients on a platter or individual plates.
3. For the kaffir lime dressing, mix all the dressing ingredients together well and allow to infuse for one hour or overnight before serving.
4. Spoon the kaffir lime dressing over the salad and garnish with salad leaves.

Simple cure for hot smoking

Mix equal quantities of brown sugar and salt, sprinkle over a split whole fish and leave for 4 hours or, if using fillets, leave for 1 hour, lightly pat dry, do not wash — then hot smoke over woodchips until cooked.