Ingredients

• 10 x 125g/4½oz single fillets of salmon
• cut from the whole fillet
• skin on
• salt and black pepper
• 20 fine fresh asparagus tips
• 5 quails' eggs
• 1 tbsp snipped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
• 1 tbsp torn fresh mint leaves
• 1 tbsp small sprigs parsley
• 100g/3½oz full-fat crème fraîche
• 100g/3½oz full-fat Greek yoghurt
• 150ml/¼ pint light mayonnaise
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ lemon
• juice only

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 (fan 160C).
• Arrange the salmon fillets with a little space between each one
• on a buttered roasting tin and sprinkle with black pepper. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes
• or until the fish turns an opaque pink colour (no longer shiny pink). Remove the foil and allow to cool
• then cover and leave to chill in the refrigerator.
• Bring a frying pan with water to the boil
• add the asparagus and boil for just three minutes or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Plunge into ice cold water to stop them cooking any further
• then drain well.
• Bring a small pan of water to the boil and cook the quails' eggs for just two minutes. Plunge into ice cold water to stop them cooking any further
• then drain well and peel off the shells.
• For the sauce
• place all the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper
• if necessary.
• Spoon a little of the herb sauce on top of each piece of salmon
• top with half a quails' egg and two asparagus spears. Serve the remaining sauce in a sauce boat and arrange the remaining quail’s eggs on the serving platter.