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Posts Tagged ‘Salmon’

Big pieces of fish are particularly well suited to the large cooking space you’ve got on the barbecue. We’ve invested in a fish basket for the barbecue but when we cooked this we didn’t have one and it was tricky to turn. If you don’t have a fish basket you might find it easier to cut the side of salmon in half.

We also really like this without the cucumber yoghurt and served with some champ (mashed potatoes with scallions and loads of butter for any of you non-Irish readers).

Wine suggestion: White and fresh, but also with a full body and a good texture. Out of fashion somewhat we tried a Chablis  … a 1er Cru Montmains from Domaine Bois d’Yver that we had lying around. It was a couple of years old but the extra age added extra layers of depth to a wine that was still fresh and dynamic. If you’d prefer a red then lightly chill a young Pinot Noir for 20-30 minutes and you’ll also have a treat.

Barbecued Side of Salmon with Cucumber Yoghurt – serves 4-6

  • 1.5kg side of salmon, scaled and pinboned (order this from your fishmonger)
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • large bunch of basil/fennel tops, finely chopped
  • 1 cucumber, peeled lengthwise at intervals to make stripes
  • 300ml natural yoghurt
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • small bunch of mint/oregano, leaves picked and chopped

Brush the bars of the barbecue clean or your fish will stick (the fish basket will help with this), then light it and get it nice and hot.

Put the salmon skin-side down on a board and slash the flesh side with a sharp knife, about 1cm deep. Scatter the lemon zest and most of the fennel tops/basil over the salmon, then push into the cuts that you made with your fingers. Rub the fish lightly all over with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Put the salmon on the barbecue, skin-side down. Check it after about 4 minutes by which time the skin should have got nice and crispy. Turn the fish carefully and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes. You can carefully take the skin off the salmon at this stage and place it back on the heat to get really crispy.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Chop the seedless cucumber and mix with the yoghurt. Add some lemon juice, half the chopped chilli, and half the mint/oregano. Drizzle over some good olive oil and season well.

Break the salmon into portions with a fork and serve with the cucumber yoghurt, sprinkled with the remaining chilli and herbs. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve with a piece of the crispy skin if you like.

(Original recipe from Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 2007.)

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Salmon Tartare

A perfect starter for the festive season. Get the freshest and best salmon you can as it will make all the difference; ours was meltingly tender while cutting it up and we were rewarded with a melt in the mouth starter.

Wine suggestion: Try an appropriately festive and indulgent Vintage Champagne like the Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blanc which has a richness and depth alongside a minerally freshness and great purity of fruit. Alternately if on a budget, but another classic match, would be a zippy and herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc or for a bit of a lemony twist a Verdejo from Rueda in Spain.

Smoky salmon tartare with lemon and capers – serves 6

  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 2 lemons, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
  • 400g skinless salmon fillet
  • 200g smoked salmon
  • 2 tbsp chopped dill
  • 2 tbsp small capers
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp crème fraîche
  • olive oil
  • melba toast, to serve

Put the shallot into the lemon juice and leave to soak.

Cut the salmon into tiny cubes and finely chop the smoked salmon. Put all of the fish into a bowl, add the dill, capers, mustard, crème fraîche, 1 tbsp olive oil and the shallot and juice. Fold together gently and season with salt and black pepper.

Serve in rounds with the melba toast and a drizzle of olive oil.

(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, December 2014)

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Salmon with Pak choi

Light yet tasty and full of flavour. Makes you feel healthy eating it.

Wine Suggestion: Some lighter styles of white wine can be overpowered by salmon. We went for an Italian grape variety called Pecorino which has a bit more body and a nice lemony flavour to complement the sauce.

Citrusy Salmon with Garlic Pak Choi – serves 4

  • olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • juice of 3 oranges
  • juice of 1 lime, and 2 tsp grated zest
  • 4 salmon fillets
  • 500g pak choi, stems quartered
  • 4 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp honey

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Line a baking tray with kitchen foil.

Heat a little olive oil in a small pan, add the onion and one of the garlic cloves, and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft.

Add the orange and lime juice and the lime zest, then simmer gently until reduced by half. Season.

Meanwhile, put the salmon fillets on the baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until just cooked trough.

Heat a splash of olive oil in another pan, add the pak choi and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining garlic, the soy sauce and honey, and keep cooking for another couple of minutes.

Serve the salmon with the pak choi and the sauce drizzled over.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine, April 2014.)

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We made this when we visited Australia earlier this year from a great cookbook by Stephanie Alexander, her Kitchen Garden Companion. They go great with some new potatoes tossed with sour cream and dill for a main course.

Salmon Fishcakes with Dill – makes 8 or 24 little ones

  • 300g salmon fillet, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 tbsp double cream
  • 30g breadcrumbs (roughly 1 thick slice of bread)
  • 30g marinated goat’s cheese
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 4 tbsp chopped dill
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 20g butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Pour the cream over the breadcrumbs and leave to soak for 5 minutes.

Pulse the salmon, cream-soaked crumbs and goat’s cheese in a food processor until combined, but not reduced to a paste. Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl and mix in egg yolk and dill, then season with the salt and some pepper. Cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Wet your hands and divide the mixture into 8 large or 24 bite-sized fishcakes. Roll the fishcakes in the flour.

Heat butter and oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and fry the fishcakes for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Be careful not to overcook as they are better if they stay a bit moist.

Wine Suggestion: Try to find a top-quality Australian Verdelho, with a few years of age on it. It should have mellowed and developed a honey character alongside the fresh acidity and white floral character.

(Original Recipe from Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden Companion, Lantern, 2009.)

 

 

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Hot Smoked Salmon Spaghetti

The Christmas parties have well and truly started at this stage and we already feel like we’ve eaten enough food to do us until the middle of January! Here’s a healthy pasta dish if you manage to get a night off and you only have to pick up a few ingredients on your way home.

Hot smoked salmon & dill spaghetti – to serve 4

  • 150g pack hot smoked salmon
  • 400g good quality spaghetti
  • 100g frozen petits pois
  • small bunch of dill
  • 3 rounded tbsp crème fraîche

Flake the salmon into bite-size chunks. Bring a large pan of generously salted water to the boil.

Cook the pasta according to the pack and throw the peas in for the last couple of minutes.

Throw away the dill stalks and roughly chop the fronds. Keep about 4 tbsp of the pasta water, then drain and return to the pan with the reserved water. Put the pan over a really low heat, then add the salmon, dill, crème fraîche, salt and loads of black pepper. Toss together and heat briefly, then serve.

Wine Suggestion: A richer Chardonnay from a cool climate (think Burgundy or the Macedon Ranges in Australia rather than the Barossa Valley) should go well with the hot smoked salmon.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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This is lovely and healthy too. We served it with the potato salad in the post below. The recipe serves eight so it would be really easy for a dinner party but was also really easy to adapt to feed just two.

Roast spiced salmon with coconut crumbs – to serve 8 (or divide it up to serve less)

  • 50g butter
  • 8 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely crushed
  • 3 tbsp desiccated coconut
  • 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • generous pinch of ground turmeric
  • 8 slim boneless skinless salmon fillets
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

Melt the butter in a medium pan, add the cardamom and coconut and keep stirring for a few minutes or until the coconut starts to toast and smell divine. Stir in the chilli, ginger, garlic, ground coriander and turmeric. Cook for another minute and then leave to cool.

Arrange the salmon in a single layer but not touching, in 1 large or 2 smaller buttered ovenproof dishes. Scatter the coriander over and spread the coconut mixture on top. You can cover the salmon with cling film and stick it in the fridge for up to a day. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before you want to cook it.

Turn the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Roast the salmon for 13-15 minutes or until cooked, but still moist.

Wine Suggestion: We had a Gruner Veltliner from Austria which tends to be a little bit spicy and so complements a dish like this. A little residual sugar never goes amiss when there is chilli in the food either.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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We made this salad because we were trying to use up some brown basmati we’ve had sitting around in the cupboard. The flavour and texture combination turned out even better than expected and it was just as delicious for dinner as well as the next day for lunch. Fresh and light and yet filling and very satisfying. Definitely will be done again.

We reckon this would be a fabulous as part of a buffet; easy to prepare in advance and bursting with colours and flavour.

Don’t be put off by microwaving the salmon – it really does work a treat!

Zingy salmon & brown rice salad (serves 4)

  • 200g brown basmati rice
  • 200g frozen soya beans, defrosted (we used peas because we couldn’t find he soya beans)
  • 2 salmon fillets, skin on
  • 1 cucumber , diced
  • small bunch spring onions , sliced
  • small bunch coriander , roughly chopped
  • zest and juice 1 lime
  • 1 red chilli , diced, deseeded if you like
  • 4 tsp light soy sauce
  1. Cook the rice following pack instructions and 3 mins before it’s done, add the soya beans. Drain and cool under cold running water.
  2. Meanwhile, put the salmon on a plate and microwave on high for 3 mins. Allow to cool slightly, remove the skin with a fork, then flake.
  3. Gently fold the cucumber, spring onions, coriander and salmon into the rice and beans. In a separate bowl, mix the lime zest and juice, chilli and soy, then pour over the rice before serving.
Original recipe BBC Good Food

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We’re moving house this week and next week we’re getting married so we don’t reckon there will be much cooking done. Don’t worry we’ll be back mid-May after eating lots of great food and drinking lots of wine in Tuscany. In the mean time enjoy this cause we did!

Baked salmon with smoked pancetta – to serve 4

  • 4 pieces of salmon fillet, about 540g in total
  • 12 thin slices of smoked pancetta
  • 4 bay leaves
Heat the oven to 230C/fan 210C/Gas 8.
Take the skin off the salmon and wrap each piece in 3 slices of pancetta, tuck the ends underneath.
Lay the fish in an ovenproof dish and tuck a bay leaf between the fish and pancetta.
Lightly brush with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pancetta is golden.
Serve with minty peas and new potatoes.
Simple and the salmon stays wonderfully moist and picks up the smoky flavour.
(Original recipe from Nigel Slater, printed in Sainsbury’s magazine).

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