Tarragon lends delicate anise flavor to smoked sturgeon salad
Marshallberg Farm breeds Russian sturgeon for the production of osetra caviar at its environmentally-sustainable aquaculture operation in North Carolina (learn more in this episode of the series from our second season). The caviar (which is incredibly delicious — I developed a recipe for latkes to highlight the rich, delicate flavor, which you’ll find here) is harvested from mature sturgeon and then the fish itself is gently smoked on site using local oak.
Unlike light and flaky smoked trout, which you may have had in a similar cold salad preparation, smoked sturgeon is meaty and it’s not the least bit “fishy.” It’s toothsome and slightly salty and beautifully smoky. You can use either Marshallberg’s smoked loin or the smoked filet for this salad. The loin is best cut into a small dice, as I did here, while the texture of the filet lends itself to shredding. I prefer the diced loin in this recipe because I like the textural interplay of the diced apple and celery with the diced fish.
While the apple offers sweetness and acidity and celery lends its unmistakable flavor and crunch to the salad, it’s the tarragon that makes this combination special. The herb’s light anise flavor gives unexpected freshness and lift to the other flavors. Using a thick slice of slightly-sweet, nutty whole-grain bread offers a sturdy and tasty base and the arugula’s spicy bite helps to tame the mayo’s creaminess. If tomatoes are in season, I highly recommend you top this open-faced sandwich with a thick, juicy slice. The acidity is a brilliant foil to the richness of the fish and the mayo. That said, if tomatoes are not at their peak, skip it. The sandwich is great either way.
Smoked Sturgeon Salad with Tarragon
Yield: 4 servings
1/4 lbs Marshallberg Farm smoked sturgeon loin, diced
1 green apple, cored and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2-3/4 cup mayonnaise
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
thickly sliced whole grain bread
arugula
sliced tomato, if in season
| Preparation | In a medium bowl, mix the diced sturgeon, apple, celery and mayonnaise, adding more or less mayo depending on how creamy you’d like your salad to be. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in tarragon. Toast bread to desired level of crisp, then add a layer of fresh arugula and spoon your sturgeon salad on top. Add a slice of heirloom tomato or chopped cherry tomatoes if they are in season.