Frisee Salad with House Smoked Salmon, Toasted Almonds, and Tarragon-Citrus Vinaigrette

This elegant salad was part of a recent Reveillon menu at NOLA Restaurant. It would make a wonderful starter to any meal.

Ingredients

One 6- to 8-ounce portion salmon fillet
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
½ bunch parsley, chopped
½ cup chopped tarragon leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 ½ cups vegetable or grapeseed oil
½ cup olive oil
1 large or 2 small heads frisee lettuce, torn into bite size pieces (6 to 8 cups loosely packed)
½ cup sliced toasted almonds, for garnish

Prepare a home smoker according to manufacturer’s instructions and preheat the smoker to 225°F.
Season the salmon on all sides with salt and pepper and transfer to the smoker. Smoke the salmon until it is medium-rare, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the salmon from the smoker and set aside until cool.
Make the vinaigrette by combining all of the citrus juice and zest, the parsley, tarragon, garlic, shallots and mustard in a blender. While the blender is running, add the oils in a slow but steady stream until completely incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place the frisee in a salad bowl and add enough of the vinaigrette to coat the lettuce. Toss gently but thoroughly and then transfer the lettuce to salad plates. Using your fingers, gently flake the salmon into thin flakes and divide the salmon evenly among the plates on top of the lettuce. Drizzle a bit more vinaigrette over the salad and around the edge of the plate. Garnish with the almonds and serve immediately.