A Salmon and Potato Recipe That Only Feels Fancy

Fluctuating weather patterns notwithstanding — a windy, bone-cold day here, a welcome but surprising 70-degree day there — most of us will agree that winter is over.

With trees in bloom and daffodils popping up, nature whets our appetite for a spring meal.

This menu features asparagus (harbinger!), wild salmon (the season opens!) and strawberries (stone fruit soon!).

Asparagus is a true delight.

When it first arrives, it’s best enjoyed plain, eaten with fingers and dipped into butter, olive oil or a very simple sauce.

As time passes, you can get more elaborate, using it in stir-fries or more complex salads.

This recipe, a simple salad, splits the difference, with 2-inch lengths that are briefly blanched, cooled and dressed in a mustard vinaigrette.

Just before serving, the asparagus is tossed with a handful of arugula, a shower of freshly chopped dill and chunks of sharp feta, a winning combination.

It’s a very pleasant way to begin a meal and quite refreshing.

For the best outcome, make sure your asparagus is really fresh: Smooth, shiny and tightly closed tips mean that it is.

When the season for wild king salmon begins, the excitement is palpable.

And for good reason: The meat of wild king salmon is lean, flavorful and a brilliant color, compared with farmed varieties.

If you can get it, go for it.

Most people say the less you season salmon, the better.

However, when it is coated liberally with coarsely ground black pepper, the flavor shines through.

Instead of roasted potatoes, I opted for old-fashioned parsley potatoes.

Does anyone still make them?

Ideally, they are new potatoes (I used small, yellow potatoes) boiled, with the skins rubbed off, then generously buttered and showered with parsley.

When the freshly chopped parsley hits the hot spuds, there’s a subtle aroma.

I then anointed both fish and potatoes with toasty, nutty brown butter.

Just toss a knob of butter in a hot pan, let it sizzle and foam for a minute, then add a squirt of lemon juice.

This simple sauce makes just about anything taste better and it really complements the peppery fish, my riff on a supper of salmon-potatoes-butter.

A classic French strawberry tart involves a buttery pastry shell filled with a light custard, with strawberries on top, but this version has an almond frangipane filling baked in a pastry shell.

It’s then topped with berries and served with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Sweet, ripe strawberries are de rigueur, and the smaller the better.

Though one pound is sufficient, buying extra allows you to choose only the best specimens, saving overripe or bruised berries to make a little jam or smoothie.

A heavy shower of powdered sugar gives it an impressive look, but another option is to paint each strawberry with a little apricot or raspberry jam (warmed and strained as necessary).

Either way you present it, it’ll fill your belly with the taste of spring — and perhaps even put a little spring in your step.

Asparagus-Feta Salad Asparagus is a true spring delight.

When it first arrives, at the beginning of the season, it’s best enjoyed plain and steamed, eaten with fingers, dipped into butter, olive oil or a very simple sauce.

But after that, it’s time to get more elaborate, using it in stir-fries or more complex salads.

Here, 2-inch lengths of medium-size asparagus are briefly blanched, cooled and dressed in a mustard vinaigrette.

Just before serving, the asparagus is tossed with a handful of arugula, a shower of freshly chopped dill and chunks of sharp feta.

By David Tanis Total time: 20 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients: Salt and black pepper 1 bunch medium asparagus (about 1 pound) 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 large handfuls sturdy arugula (about 2 1/2 ounces) 2 ounces feta, cut into 1/2-inch chunks 2 tablespoons roughly chopped dill Preparation: 1.

Prepare the asparagus: Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil.

Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus spears.

Cut spears into 2-inch lengths.

Add to pot and cook at a brisk simmer until cooked but quite firm, about 2 minutes.

Drain cooked asparagus, and spread on a kitchen towel.

Let cool to room temperature.

Make the vinaigrette: Put vinegar or lemon juice in a small bowl.

Add the mustard and stir to dissolve.

Stir in olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and a little pepper.

To assemble the salad, put cooked asparagus in a wide, low salad bowl.

Add a pinch of salt and the vinaigrette, and toss to coat.

Add arugula, feta and dill, and toss well.

(Some feta will crumble but leave some large chunks.) Black Pepper Salmon With Parsley Potatoes Fresh salmon fillets, preferably wild king salmon, are coated liberally with coarse-ground black pepper to great effect, then quickly roasted.

Served with old-fashioned “parsley potatoes” and anointed with nutty brown butter, it’s a pleasingly simple dish.

By David Tanis Total time: 60 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients: 2 pounds small, round potatoes 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin off 1 tablespoon coarse-ground black pepper 6 tablespoons salted butter 1 lemon, cut into wedges 3 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley Preparation: 1.

Put potatoes in a pot of well-salted water.

Bring to a boil, then simmer briskly until tender when probed with a skewer, fork or paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain and let cool slightly.

While potatoes are still warm, remove skins with a paring knife (this goes faster if two people do it; otherwise, it’s a meditative chore for one).

Return peeled potatoes to pot, cover and keep warm.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, lay salmon flat in a shallow roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.

Season with salt on both sides, and generously sprinkle the pieces with about 1/2 teaspoon pepper on each side.

Leave to absorb seasoning, at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, at room temperature.

Cook until white juices appear on surface and fish begins to flake when poked with a fingertip or fork, 10 to 15 minutes, taking care not to overcook 5.

As the salmon bakes, add 2 tablespoons butter, a good pinch of salt and 1/2 cup water to the pot of potatoes.

Set pot over medium-high heat until potatoes are hot, 2 to 3 minutes.

Set a small skillet over medium-high heat.

Cut remaining 4 tablespoons butter into chunks and add to pan.

Swirl pan and cook until butter begins to foam and brown, about 2 minutes.

Squeeze a little bit of juice from 1 lemon wedge over the butter and turn off heat.

Add parsley to potatoes, toss gently to coat, and transfer to a warm serving dish.

Transfer salmon to a platter or individual plates.

Spoon brown butter over fish.

Serve with remaining lemon wedges.

Fresh Strawberry Tart A classic French strawberry tart features a buttery pastry shell filled with a light custard and topped with strawberries.

This version has an almond base baked in a pastry shell, served with berries and a dollop of crème fraîche on top.

Sweet, ripe strawberries are essential.

Though one pound is sufficient, buying extra allows you to use only the best specimens, saving overripe or bruised berries to make a little jam.

It is easiest to make the tart over two days: Prepare the pastry dough and the almond filling one day, then bake and add berries the next.

(For that matter, you can also bake the base the day before serving.

It keeps well.) By David Tanis Total time: 5 hours Yield: 1 (10-inch) tart Ingredients: For the Pastry: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/150 grams all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar Pinch of salt 1/2 cup/115 grams cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced 1 large egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons ice water For the Filling 3/4 cup/112 grams whole, skin-on almonds 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar 1/2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 large eggs, beaten 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 pound/145 grams small, ripe strawberries, stems removed, left whole or halved Powdered sugar Crème fraîche, for serving Preparation: 1.

Make the pastry: Put flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.

Add butter and work in with fingertips.

(Alternatively, pulse ingredients in a food processor.) Add egg and knead briefly (or pulse) to make soft, somewhat sticky dough.

Wrap in wax paper and squash to make a flat disk.

Refrigerate while you make the filling.

Make the almond filling: Put almonds, flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind to a rough powder.

Add butter, eggs and almond extract, and process until smooth, about 2 minutes.

(Alternatively, use coarse almond flour and make filling with a stand mixer or handheld beaters.) 3.

Press dough evenly into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, making sure to press the dough firmly up the sides.

Refrigerate shell until firm, about 2 hours, or freeze for 30 minutes.

Set oven to 375 degrees.

Spoon almond filling into pan and smooth with a spatula.

Set on a baking sheet and bake on middle rack of oven until pastry is golden and filling is nicely browned, 30 to 40 minutes.

Test the filling: An inserted skewer should emerge clean.

Cool completely on a rack.

Remove outer rim of tart pan but leave it on the metal bottom.

Place tart on a serving plate.

Arrange whole or halved strawberries over surface of tart.

Just before serving, dust generously with powdered sugar.

Serve with crème fraîche on the side.

Tip: If you like, you can also use a pastry brush to coat each strawberry with a little warmed and strained apricot or raspberry jam (thinned as necessary) before dusting with powdered sugar.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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