At Tra Vigne, we have developed techniques that allow us to serve dishes efficiently without compromising quality. This salmon dish is a good example. The individual elements — salmon, vinaigrette, and pea and potato salad — can all be made ahead, leaving only the assembly for serving time.
Prepare the grill and let it burn down to medium coals. Leave the coals piled in the center of the grate. Sprinkle the salmon all over with salt and let rest for about 25 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Brush with olive oil.
Add a handful of soaked chips to the coals, oil the grill rack, if necessary, and place the salmon, skin side down, on the grill toward the outside of the coals. Cover the grill and cook, without turning, until the salmon is opaque through, about 20 minutes (for 1-1/2-inch-thick fillets).
Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and spread on a baking sheet to cool. Return the water to a boil, add the peas, and cook just until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well and scatter on the baking sheet with the potatoes to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, the tarragon, if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the 1/2 cup olive oil while whisking to form an emulsion.
Put the peas and potatoes in a large bowl and add about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette. Toss and taste for seasoning. Add more of the vinaigrette, if needed. Toss well with 1 tablespoon of the chives and divide among 4 plates. Pull the skin off each piece of salmon (reserve, if desired), then place on top of the salads. Dress the greens with another tablespoon of the vinaigrette and arrange around the salmon. Stand the salmon skin against the side of the salmon as a garnish, if desired. Sprinkle the salads with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chives.
Chef's Note: A lightly flavored olive oil, such as a Spanish or French one, is better here than a Tuscan or other strongly flavored olive oil. I do not mean the so-called light olive oils in supermarkets, specially blended to have little or no flavor at all.
Find out your preferred balance for vinaigrettes. I like to use a ratio of about ten parts oil to one part vinegar for a dinner when the wine is a star, and four parts oil to one part vinegar for "all-purpose" vinaigrettes, such as this one. If you like a more pronounced acidity, do not be afraid to decrease the ratio to equal amounts oil and vinegar.
