In sweltering summer, turning on the stove is about as appealing as stepping into a sauna, but (wo)man can’t live on ice-cream alone, so here are my current favourite no-cook cooking ideas. For sensational salads, mix the season’s bounty with punchy flavours, such as kimchi, that you can pull straight out of the fridge and proteins, such as tofu, that you don’t have to cook. Salmon is another smart choice: buy a good-quality fillet and you can make it go a long way by turning it into tartare or ceviche or by curing it, which is more of a doddle than you might think.
Tomato, kimchi and tofu salad (pictured top)
Salads are the ultimate no-cook suppers, and the bolshie kimchi dressing on this one takes a tomato salad way out of the Mediterranean.
Prep 20 min
Serves 4
600g heritage tomatoes, cut into varying shapes (wedges, rings, quarters)
600g silken tofu, sliced
300g kimchi, roughly chopped
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
10 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced
1 large handful coriander leaves
3 spring onions, green parts only, finely sliced
1 handful salted peanuts, roughly chopped
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Arrange the tomatoes and tofu on a platter and spoon over half the kimchi.
In a blender, puree the remaining kimchi, then add the rapeseed oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy, and blend again until smooth; add a little water if the dressing is too thick – it should have the consistency of a rich vinaigrette.
Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and tofu, top with the radishes, coriander, spring onions, peanuts and sesame seeds, and serve.
Cured salmon with fennel and preserved lemon dressing
This meltingly tender cured fish is wonderful as it is, or piled up between slices of good bread for the most delicious summer sandwich.
Prep 45 min
Cure Overnight
Serves 4
1 bunch dill, picked and finely chopped
250g caster sugar
250g rock salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted and roughly crushed
50ml gin
500g side of salmon, skinned and pinboned
Creme fraiche, to serve (optional)
For the salad
2 small bulbs fennel, trimmed and very finely sliced
Juice of 1 lemon, plus an extra squeeze for the fennel
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 preserved lemon, rind only, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
1 handful dill, picked and finely chopped
1 handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
Start the day before you want to serve this, to give the salmon time to cure. Mix the first six ingredients in a bowl, then spread half the mixture in the base of a container large enough to hold the fish snugly. Lay the salmon on top, spread the remaining cure on top, cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, soak the fennel in a bowl of ice-cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice for five minutes. Meanwhile, blend the olive oil, lemon juice and preserved lemon in a food processor, then season to taste. Drain and dry the fennel, toss in a bowl with the dressing, then toss through the herbs.
Lift the salmon from its cure, scraping off any stuck to the flesh, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Slice the salmon thinly and serve with bread, creme fraiche (if using) and the fennel salad.
