Summer Potato Salad

Published on January 1 2010.

Ingredients

For the summer salad with poached fish roe:

• 3 bay leaves
• 100 ml dry sherry
• ½ brown onion
• 400g fish roe sacks, (available when waters start to cool, will probably need to be sourced through New Zealand in March)
• 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded
• 1 green capsicum, de-stemmed and seeded
• 600g kipfler or other waxy potatoes, washed and unpeeled
• ½ salad onion
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 150ml aged sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• fresh oregano leaves
  

  For the tuna:

(Makes 2 one litre capacity jars)

2kg piece yellowfin tuna

200g salt

1 litre mild extra virgin olive oil

Method

For the summer salad with poached fish roe:

• In a large saucepan add 2 litres of water, bay leaves, dry sherry, and half a brown onion and place on high heat
• When boiling reduce heat to medium and, when simmering, gently lower in the fish roe
• Simmer for 15 minutes. Allow the fish roe to cool in the poaching liquid
• place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil and cook on medium-high until done, about 30 minutes from boiling. Remove from heat, drain and allow to cool
• When cool enough to handle carefully peel and slice into 1cm rounds and place in a large serving bowl
• dice the tomatoes in 1cm pieces. Dice the capsicum and salad onion. Add to the potatoes and dress with a good sprinkle of salt, extra virgin olive oil and aged sherry vinegar. Toss through gently
• Remove the roe from the liquid and slice into 1 cm rounds. Add to the salad and ever so gently mix through. Serve with the tuna still warm.
• Serve at room temperature

For the tuna:

• Wash and sterilise 2 one litre capacity preserving jars and their seals and lids
• Using a sharp knife, remove the skin, bloodline and any bone or tough flesh from the tuna. Cut the tuna into pieces a few centimetres shorter than the jars. Place a plate on the bottom of a large saucepan and lay the fish on the plate. Pour on the salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to very low, cover and barely simmer for 2 hours
• At this stage we use the tuna while still warm in the salad

To conserve the tuna:

• Place the tuna pieces upright in jars and cover with the olive oil, seal
• Place an old plate on the bottom of a large heavy-based saucepan so the jar is not in direct contact with the base of the pan. Place the jar on the plate and place on the stove
• Fill with enough cold water to cover the jar and turn the heat to high. When the temperature reaches 80°C, reduce the heat and adjust it to keep the temperature at roughly 80°C for 30 minutes
• Carefully remove the jar from the water, cool, then store in a cool dark place for up to 6 months