Smoked mackerel, asparagus and noodle salad with ginger miso dressing

Smoked mackerel, asparagus and noodle salad with ginger miso dressing by Maria Elia (Jonathan Gregson)

For the ginger miso dressing

40g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 garlic clove, finely grated
60ml rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Half a tablespoon caster sugar
75ml sesame oil
2 tablespoons yellow or red miso paste

For the salad

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends snapped off
1 packet soba or buckwheat noodles
Dash of olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
4 smoked mackerel fillets, flaked
1 bunch coriander, leaves picked
4 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 avocado, cut into rough 2cm chunks
100g podded soya beans, defrosted
2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds, toasted
1 bunch watercress, picked

The dressing recipe makes more than you need, but will store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. You can buy podded soya beans (endamame) in the freezer section of health food shops and some supermarkets.

To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons water and refrigerate until required.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the asparagus and plunge into cold water. Keep the water boiling for the noodles and cook according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and place in a large bowl, and toss with enough ginger miso dressing to coat.

Preheat a griddle pan, toss the cooked asparagus with olive oil, sea salt and pepper and cook over a medium heat until lightly charred; remove and leave to cool before cutting each spear into three pieces on the diagonal.

Toss the remaining ingredients together with the noodles and asparagus and serve immediately.

Taken from 'Full of Flavour' by Maria Elia (Kyle Books, £19.99).