This invigorating appetizer pairs the rich, buttery taste of fresh salmon with the zesty flavors of ginger and fennel.

2 pounds skinless salmon fillets (have your fish market remove the skin)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Lettuce for garnish

1. Slice the salmon crosswise into strips about 1/4 inch wide. Place the strips in a large mixing bowl. Add the lime juice, fennel, vinegar, oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Stir gently and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours. Taste for seasoning (you may need more salt).

2. Line small serving plates with lettuce and place a portion of salmon over the lettuce.

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Excerpted from Cooking with the 60-Minute Gourmet: by Pierre Franey and Bryan Miller, with an introduction by Jacques Pepin Copyright© 1999 by Pierre Franey and Bryan Miller. Excerpted by permission of Times Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.