Fresh summer tomatoes are the best thing ever — you don’t need to do much to a tomato to enjoy it. When I sat down to write up some summer salads I racked my brain to think of the best salad I’ve ever had with tomatoes. Sliced with basil and fresh mozzarella or with a little olive oil and salt is always great, but I wanted to think of something that surpasses even that. Chef Moses from Pardes restaurant in Brooklyn suddenly sprang to mind. I worked in his kitchen for a bit of time where he taught me many things, including this amazing dressing and salad. This is my version of his recipe — a more rustic home-style version. (the real thing comes with smoked salmon skin, some rouille, and fancy foam stuff which you’ll have to actually venture out of your house and to Pardes restaurant to eat.) In the meantime, try this.
Tip if you can not find arame and/or do not love the taste of anchovies, do not miss out on this wonderful salad. Make a simple oil-lemon dressing.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Crispy Salmon Skin & Seaweed Dressing

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

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Servings

Ingredients

3 shallots thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
a couple handfuls fresh summer green beans wax beans or the fantastic rare sea bean, topped and sliced on the bias, into 3-inch pieces (approximately)
4 appetizer portions of filleted salmon skin on
Pinch kosher salt
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 handful fresh basil and parsley chopped
6-7 gorgeous tomatoes heirloom or on the vine, whatever looks bright, feels firm and smells like heaven in a veggie patch, wedged into bite-sized pieces
Pinch of sel gris grey salt or any other coarse sea salt
10 sheets of nori
1/2 cup anchovies 2 small tins, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup arame
1 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Put the shallots in a container and cover with the red wine vinegar. set aside to “quick pickle.”
Soak the arame in the balsamic vinegar and set aside in a separate container.
Chop all of the nori, dry, in a food processor. Combine the rest of the dressing ingredients in a container, still waiting for the arame which will be added when the rest of the salad is done.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and have a big bowl of ice water ready. Throw the green beans and sea beans in for 60 seconds, pull out with tongs and shock in the ice water. (Certain fresh summer beans might take a lot longer so taste everything raw first. Green beans can be eaten raw, so blanching is perfect, but more fibrous beans need to simmer longer.)
When completely chilled, drain well. Wash the salmon well and pat it dry. Sprinkle both sides of the fillet with salt.
Heat the oil in a fry pan and when smoking, add the salmon, skin- side down. The skin will crisp up and the fillet will partially cook through. When the skin is as crispy as can be before it burns, about three minutes, flip the fillet over and let the heat graze the second side. remove from heat and let the salmon rest skin-side up to keep the skin crispy.
Combine the arame/balsamic vinegar combination with the rest of the dressing. shake it up well. Toss the green beans, sea beans, parsley, basil, tomatoes, the shallots (without the red wine vinegar), a pinch of kosher salt and a good splash of the dressing in a mixing bowl. split the salad between four plates. Top with the warm piece of salmon, crispy skin on top, and a sprinkle salt.