White Beans and Smoked Fish

(A Pantry-and-Fridge Salad)

Makes 6 servings

While my usual forage-in-my-kitchen salad stars chickpeas and tuna, my newest version mixes white beans, preserved lemon and smoked haddock (or other fish). With a double-mustard vinaigrette, some herbs, onions and a splash of fresh lemon juice at the end, it makes a good dinner and will be snackable for a day or two more.

a word on the haddock

Smoked haddock has a very strong flavor, so you want to cut it into small pieces. If you’re using a milder smoked fish, you might want larger pieces, and you might even want a little more fish.

and a word on the onions

I always have Quick Pickled Onions in my fridge. I leave them in their brine; they keep for about a week or so. If you don’t have them, use scallions, spring onions or red onion, rinsed in cold water and patted dry.

• For the vinaigrette
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard (preferably French)
• 1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard (preferably French)
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• For the salad
• 4 to 5 cups (about 450 grams) white beans, cooked (from 1 pound dried) or canned, drained and patted dry
• 2 to 3 celery stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces (if you’d like, use a hot pepper instead)
• ½ preserved lemon, peel only, patted dry and finely chopped
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 lemon
• About 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil, parsley or cilantro, or a mix
• 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped pickled or plain onions (see headnote)
• ½ pound (226 grams) smoked haddock (or other smoked fish, or tuna; see Playing Around), skin removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salad greens, tossed with a little oil, for serving (optional)

Working Ahead

The vinaigrette can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

To make the vinaigrette: Put 3 tablespoons oil and the rest of the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and decide if you’d like more olive oil (or even more mustard and/or vinegar). Then season with salt and pepper. Beans sop up flavor, so you want the vinaigrette to be sharper than usual. (You can refrigerate the vinaigrette for up to 5 days. Shake well before using.)

To make the salad: Choose a large salad bowl that will give you lots of toss room. Put the beans, celery, bell pepper and preserved lemon in the bowl, moisten with some of the vinaigrette, season lightly with salt (remember that the fish will add salt to the mix) and generously with pepper and toss well. Grate the zest of the lemon over the salad, then add the herbs, onions and a little more vinaigrette and toss again. Mix in the fish and taste to see if it needs more vinaigrette, salt and/or pepper. If you’d like, squeeze the juice of the lemon into the salad — I love this squirt of sharpness and always use it.

Serve as is, or place the salad on a bed of greens.

 

Storing: Leftover salad will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It may need a little more vinegar, lemon juice and/or salt and pepper — toss and taste before serving.

Playing Around

Salads like these welcome change-ups — the haddock can be any other sturdy smoked fish, such as salmon, trout or a white fish. If you’re a smoked eel lover, go for it — eel and beans are wonderful together. Or, if you want something without smoke, use 2 cans of tuna. The beans can be white, black, red or even firm French lentils. And no one will shake a finger if you decide to add orange or grapefruit segments or sliced tomatoes or avocados.