Ingredients

• 4 x 175g/5oz salmon fillets
• skin on
• olive oil
• for brushing
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 250g/9oz asparagus spears
• woody ends trimmed
• 75ml/2½fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 50ml/2fl oz sherry vinegar
• 75g/2½oz good quality white bread
• day old
• 2 cloves garlic
• peeled
• chopped
• ½ cucumber
• peeled
• seeds removed
• chopped
• 1 green chilli
• chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• to taste
• 125g/4½oz smoked almonds
• roughly chopped
• to serve

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/355F/Gas 4.
• Heat a griddle pan until smoking. Brush the salmon with the olive oil
• season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and griddle for 2-3 minutes on both sides
• or until golden-brown all over. Place into the oven to finish cooking for 3-4 more minutes
• or until just cooked through.
• For the gazpacho
• cut off the tips of the asparagus spears and blanch in a pan of boiling water for one minute
• then drain and refresh in iced water. Set aside.
• Boil the asparagus stems in a pan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes
• or until very soft. Allow to cool in the liquid.
• Mix the extra virgin olive oil
• sherry vinegar
• bread and garlic together in a large bowl and set aside for ten minutes.
• Transfer the bread mixture to a food processor along with the asparagus stems
• cucumber
• chilli and tarragon and blend until smooth. Add enough of the asparagus cooking liquid to thin out the gazpacho to your desired consistency
• and blend again. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To serve
• ladle the gazpacho into four serving bowls and gently place a salmon fillet on top of each. Scatter over the chopped smoked almonds and asparagus tips and serve.