Breakfast – Smashed Avocado and Salmon Bruschetta

Bernard Salt is a professional number cruncher. His idea of a great time involves a sharp pencil and a copy of the latest census results. Not knowing the first thing about the man, I can nonetheless confidently tell you that his Happy Place involves statistics. He produces facts about who we are, what we do, where we live and what we’re thinking. When he’s not reporting on prevailing social trends with the gimlet eye of an statistician he’s railing against bad manners in his self-described Society of Normal People on Facebook.

I am quite a fan. Or at least, I was, until the day he described my suburb in less than flattering terms, beginning with, ‘Help! Please help me. I can’t get out.’  Apparently I am perpetuating the myth of inner-city living, by a) living within 7 kms of the CBD, b) preferring public transport to cars and horror of horrors, c) eating anything that begins with ‘smashed avocado’.

Now, while smashed avocado is a prevailing menu item in cafés at the moment, some trends require sterling defense. Smashed avocado gets my juices flowing much like statistics do for Mr Salt and while you won’t need a pencil or a PDF of the last census results to know what’s on-trend, this breakfast covers that most basic need – a light and lovely transition towards breakfast in warmer weather. Smash your avocados wherever you live, don’t bother with boat shoes or designer sunglasses or goat’s cheese or black-clad hipsterism and don’t pay any attention to Mr Salt’s derision.

‘Tis bloody delicious, and for me, that will always make it on trend.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 x 180-200g piece salmon; 1 tbsp olive oil; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 large avocados; 1 lemon; olive oil, extra; 100g creamy fetta;  8 slices home-style bread, such as pane di casa or sourdough; rocket or salad greens, to serve

METHOD

Heat a non-stick fry-pan over medium heat. Pin-bone the salmon fillet by running your fingers over the flesh until you find a bone and remove it with a set of tweezers. Rub all sides of the fillet with oil then season with salt and pepper.

Place the salmon fillet skin side down in the hot pan and cook for four minutes on one side and two minutes on the other. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little, then flake the fish into thick slices and set aside.

Remove the stones from the avocados and scoop out the flesh of one into a large bowl. Mash with a fork until smooth. Dice the other avocado into large chunks and add to the mash, together with salmon pieces and crumbled fetta. Add the juice of half a lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper and stir well to combine.

Toast the bread and while the toast is still hot, place two slices of toast on each warm plate. Top with some avocado and salmon mash and serve at once with some salad greens, a wedge of the remaining lemon, and if so inclined, a copy of the census results on the side.

COST

$11.60 for four people