As Spring approaches it’s time to put away our slow cookers and casserole dishes and lighten things up a bit. Beautiful Australian asparagus bursts into season in Spring, and this combined with fresh salmon, Kipfler potatoes, the sweet tender inner leaves and stalks from a bunch of celery and a sprinkle of capers is the perfect way to celebrate the change to a new part of the year.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 x 200gm pieces fresh Atlantic salmon, skin on

500gm Kipfler potatoes, washed

2 bunches asparagus

½ bunch celery

1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced

2tbs baby capers

½ cup picked flat parsley leaves

30ml lemon juice

45ml extra virgin olive oil

2tsp whole seed mustard

salt and pepper

Method:

In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until they are tender when pricked with a fork.

Drain and cool slightly before removing the skins by scraping gently with a small knife. Cut the peeled potatoes into 1cm rounds.

Cut the bottom 2cm from the asparagus spears and lightly peel the bottom 5cm of each spear. Cut each into 3 pieces on an angle

Blanch the asparagus in salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then refresh in iced water. Once cold, drain well.

Pick the inner yellow leaves of the celery and slice four of the tender inner stalks finely.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and mustard and season with salt and pepper.

In a heavy based frying pan, cook the salmon pieces skin side down first, on a medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side. Allow to rest in the pan off the heat for a further 5 minutes.

Mix together the potatoes, asparagus, celery, onion, capers and parsley.

Remove the skin from salmon and break the flesh up into large flakes through the salad.

Dress with ¾ of the lemon dressing and season with salt and pepper.

Divide between four plates and drizzle over the remaining dressing.