Tom Kime’s aromatic smoked fish and cucumber salad with mint and roasted peanuts

METHOD

1. Cut thin slices of the cucumber, leaving the core of seeds untouched in the centre. Stack the slices of cucumber and then finely slice into thin matchsticks. Smoke the fish fillet until cooked and fragrant.
2. Place the raw peanuts on an oven tray and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Do not overcook them, as they become bitter when they are too dark. De-seed the green or red chilli and finely chop. Pound the chilli with the salt until you have a smooth paste. Add the lime juice and orange juice and the fish sauce. Taste the sauce, it should be sour, hot and salty.
3. Finely slice the spring onions. Pour the dressing over the smoked fish and leave to sit for 2 minutes so that they absorb the flavours. Mix with the shredded cucumber, add the remaining ingredients and tear in the mint and the coriander. Any combination of seafood can be used for this deliciously subtle salad. You can also use aromatic smoked prawns, which provide another layer of flavour.