A shower of homemade potato chips adds crisp, salty contrast to this smoked-fish salad tossed with a sweet honey mustard dressing.
Honey-Dijon Dressing
3 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons grated orange zest plus up to 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, divided
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Fish-and-Chips
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 russet potato, shaved crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices, patted dry
Kosher salt, to taste
1 (4-ounce) head butter lettuce or red leaf lettuce
2 cups baby arugula
1 large English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small fennel bulb, shaved lengthwise (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill, divided
Black pepper, to taste
12 ounces smoked trout fillets, flaked
Make the honey-Dijon dressing: Whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, and orange zest in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well combined. Whisk in orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time and tasting after each addition, until dressing has a balanced sweet-tart flavor. Season with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the fish-and-chips: Pour vegetable oil into a large Dutch oven (at least 6 quarts) to a depth of 2 inches; heat over medium to 375°F. Meanwhile, soak onion slices in a bowl of ice water for 20 minutes to soften their flavor; drain and set aside.
Working in batches, fry potato slices, adding a few at a time to the oil to prevent them from sticking together and adjusting heat as needed, until lightly browned and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer chips to a paper towel–lined baking sheet using a slotted spoon or spider. Season with salt to taste; set aside.
Separate the leaves from the head of lettuce, and arrange them on a platter. Slice the lettuce core, and sprinkle over the middle of the platter. Toss arugula, cucumber, tomatoes, fennel, scallions, reserved onion, and 1/4 cup dill in a large bowl with about 1/2 cup dressing. Add potato chips, and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pile the arugula mixture in the middle of the platter, and scatter flaked trout over top; garnish with black pepper and remaining 1/4 cup dill. Drizzle with remaining dressing.
