# San Francisco Appetizing Plate with Lox, Sable, and Spring Salads > Silky lox and rich smoked sable anchor a spring appetizing plate with cultured butter, crisp radishes, and a chive-topped egg. Tangy cabbage, fennel-frond potatoes, avocado and cucumber, and a green goddess spring medley keep each bite bright—a leisurely birthday lunch, San Francisco style. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/san-francisco-style-appetizer-platter-jubilee-lox-sable-with-spring-salads - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2023-05-21 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free, pescatarian ![San Francisco Appetizing Plate with Lox, Sable, and Spring Salads](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F41ac2ee3a88274cf.jpg) ## Lox and Smoked Sable Ready-to-eat lox and smoked sable bring contrasting textures and enough salt and richness to anchor the vegetable-heavy plate. ### Ingredients - 8 oz thinly sliced lox - 6 oz ready-to-eat smoked sablefish, skin and any bones removed - 1 tbsp chives, cut into short batons ### Instructions 1. Keep the fish refrigerated while preparing the other components. 2. Just before serving, separate the lox into loose folds and divide the sable into broad slices or flakes. Arrange together without pressing them flat. 3. Scatter with chive batons. ### Notes - Use purchased cured and smoked fish; this component does not involve curing raw fish at home. ## Cult Crackers and Radishes with Cultured Butter Peppery radishes and crunchy crackers make two simple vehicles for thick curls of cultured butter. ### Ingredients - 12 gluten-free Cult Crackers - 6 large red radishes, chilled - 4 oz cultured butter, preferably Achadinha, slightly softened - to taste flaky salt, if the butter is unsalted ### Instructions 1. Cut the radishes into sturdy rounds about 1/4 inch thick. 2. Spread a few crackers and radish rounds generously with butter, using a knife to leave broad curls. Serve the remaining crackers and radishes alongside. 3. Add a little flaky salt only if needed. ### Notes - Butter the crackers immediately before serving so they stay crisp. ## Quick-Pickled Napa Cabbage with Sumac A short salt cure softens the thick ribs without losing their crunch. Vinegar and sumac cut through the richness of the smoked fish and butter. ### Ingredients - 12 oz Napa cabbage, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces - 1 tsp fine sea salt - 1/3 cup white wine vinegar - 1/3 cup cold water - 1 tsp honey - 1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced - 1 1/2 tsp ground sumac - 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil ### Instructions 1. Toss the cabbage with the salt and massage briefly. Leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze gently and drain off the released liquid. 2. Stir together the vinegar, water, honey, garlic, and sumac. Toss with the cabbage and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, turning once or twice. 3. Drain the serving portion well and toss with the olive oil. Taste before adding any more salt. ### Notes - This is a refrigerator quick pickle, not a fermented or shelf-stable preserve. Make it a day ahead for a softer, more thoroughly pickled texture. ## Pastured Eggs with Chives A just-set yolk provides a creamy bite without adding another sauce to the plate. ### Ingredients - 2 large pastured eggs, refrigerator-cold - 2 tsp chives, cut into short batons - to taste flaky salt ### Instructions 1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle boil. Lower in the eggs and cook for 9 minutes for set whites and mostly set, still-moist yolks. 2. Transfer immediately to ice water for 5 minutes, then peel carefully. 3. Halve lengthwise just before serving. Top each half with chives and a few flakes of salt. ### Notes - For fully firm yolks, cook for 11 minutes. Allow one half per plate, or double the eggs for a heartier meal. ## Green Goddess Dressing Yogurt and lemon keep the dressing tangy, while a generous quantity of herbs and a little anchovy give it depth. ### Ingredients - 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt - 1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves - 2 tbsp chopped chives - 1 tbsp tarragon leaves - 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained - 1 small garlic clove - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - 1–3 tbsp cold water, as needed - to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Blend the yogurt, parsley, chives, tarragon, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil until green and mostly smooth. 2. Add cold water a tablespoon at a time until the dressing coats a spoon but pours easily. 3. Taste for salt, pepper, and lemon. Refrigerate until needed. ### Notes - If the garlic tastes sharp, let the dressing rest for 20 minutes before adjusting. If too tart, add another spoonful of yogurt. ## Spring Medley Salad Briefly blanched peas and asparagus stay sweet and crisp, while seared lettuce adds a little browned bitterness against the cool herb dressing. ### Ingredients - 6 oz sugar snap peas, strings removed - 1/2 cup shelled English peas - 8 oz asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces - 2 small Little Gem lettuce heads, quartered through the core - 1 tbsp ghee - 1/3 cup Green Goddess Dressing, plus more as needed - to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Blanch the asparagus for 1–2 minutes and the snap peas and shelled peas for 1–2 minutes, just until bright green and crisp-tender. 2. Transfer the vegetables to the ice water, then drain and dry thoroughly. Cut the snap peas into bite-size pieces. 3. Heat the ghee in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the lettuce dry and sear its cut sides for 1–2 minutes each, until browned in spots but not collapsed. Cool, trim off the tough core, and cut into large pieces. 4. Just before serving, gently toss all the vegetables with the dressing. Add only enough to lightly coat, then season to taste. ### Notes - Dry the vegetables well so the dressing clings rather than pooling. Keep the seared lettuce separate until the final toss. ## Fennel Frond and Potato Salad Warm potatoes absorb the lemon dressing, while abundant fennel fronds give the cooled salad a delicate anise flavor that suits smoked fish. ### Ingredients - 1 lb small thin-skinned yellow potatoes, scrubbed - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice - 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest - 1 small shallot, finely minced - 1/2 cup loosely packed tender fennel fronds, roughly chopped - 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped - 3 radishes, thinly sliced - to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water by an inch, and salt generously. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes, until a knife enters easily but the potatoes hold their shape. 2. Meanwhile, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, zest, shallot, and several grinds of pepper. 3. Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry for 3 minutes. Cut into large bite-size pieces and gently toss with the dressing while still warm. 4. Cool to room temperature, then fold in the fennel fronds, parsley, and radishes. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon. ### Notes - If making ahead, reserve the herbs and radishes until shortly before serving for the freshest texture. ## Avocado and Cucumber Salad Large avocado pieces provide creaminess while cucumber and lemon keep the salad crisp and refreshing. ### Ingredients - 2 ripe but firm avocados - 3 Persian cucumbers - 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice - 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped - to taste sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Cut the cucumbers into thick half-moons or irregular bite-size pieces. Cut the avocados into large chunks. 2. Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil with a little salt and pepper. 3. Gently fold the cucumber, avocado, and parsley into the dressing immediately before serving, keeping most of the avocado pieces intact. ## Overall Timing / Workflow Most components can be prepared ahead and served cool, leaving only the delicate salads and crackers for the last few minutes. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 - Salt the cabbage, then prepare its pickling liquid. After 15 minutes, drain, combine, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 2. 0:15 - Start the potatoes. While they simmer, make the green goddess dressing and prepare an ice bath. 3. 0:30 - Drain and dress the potatoes. Cook and chill the eggs, then blanch and chill the spring vegetables. 4. 0:45 - Sear and cool the lettuce. Wash and cut the herbs and radishes, and peel the eggs. 5. 1:05 - Fold the herbs and radishes into the potato salad. Drain the cabbage serving portion and finish with olive oil. 6. 1:10 - Make the avocado-cucumber salad, dress the spring medley, and arrange the fish and eggs. Butter the crackers and radishes last. ### Notes - The cabbage, dressing, and potatoes can be prepared the day before. Keep the fish refrigerated until plating. ## Plating Separate, generous piles preserve the distinct textures and let diners combine salty fish, buttery crunch, and bright salads as they eat. ### Instructions 1. Use four large plates. Place loose folds of lox and sable in one corner and a chive-topped egg half near the opposite edge. 2. Spoon the potato salad into the center, with avocado-cucumber salad and spring medley on either side. 3. Add a small, well-drained mound of cabbage, keeping its pickle liquid away from the crackers. 4. Finish with buttered radish rounds and a buttered cracker near the rim. Serve the remaining crackers and dressing separately. ## Leftover Path Separate storage keeps crackers crisp and prevents the pickles and dressings from overwhelming the delicate fish. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate perishable leftovers within 2 hours, keeping fish, eggs, salads, dressing, and cabbage in separate covered containers. Store crackers airtight at room temperature. 2. Use opened smoked fish within the package's stated window, ideally within 2 days of this meal. Eat dressed spring salad and avocado salad by the next day. 3. Use the potato salad and green goddess within 3 days. Keep the quick-pickled cabbage refrigerated in its liquid and use within 1 week. 4. Turn leftover fish, potatoes, and egg into a next-day chopped lunch salad, adding fresh greens and a little green goddess just before eating. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.