Tag: salmon

Salmon in Chraimeh sauce

I’m still cooking my way through a supply of salmon which needs to be finished, so for the last filled, I cooked this recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s book, Jerusalem. The sauce was delicious, and because I was only cooking for myself, I poached each portion of fish in a serving of the sauce as I needed it. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 4 portions of salmon, preferably salmon steaks
  • 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp caraway seeds, dry-toasted and then ground
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/3 tsp cayenne 
  • 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 green chilli, chopped
  • 150ml water
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 to 2 tsp caster sugar, to taste
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges, and 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaf
  • Salt and pepper

METHOD:

  • Put the flour in a dish and season with salt and pepper. Coat the fish steaks or fillets in the seasoned flour
  • Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan for which you have a lid. Sear the seasoned fish on each side for a couple of minutes, so that the coating is gold. Once the fish is fried, cool the pan and wipe it clean. 
  • Put the garlic, spices, chilli, and a couple of spoonfuls in a processor or pestle and mortar, and grind to a thick paste. You may need to add a little more oil.
  • In a small jug, mix the tomato puree and water, and have this ready by the hob.
  • Into the freshly cleaned pan, heat another couple of tbsp oil, and when it is hot, add the spice paste, stir and spread this out so it cooks for around 30 seconds. 
  • Add the water and tomato puree. This will spit a bit and it will stop the spices burning. Bring to a simmer, and add 3/4 tsp sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. That is the sauce made. At this point, you could store it for cooking later. 
  • Put the fish into the sauce, bring to a simmer and cook for around 10 minutes, or maybe less. The fish should be hot and tender when it is done. Take the fish off the heat and leave it to cool slightly, before serving warm, garnished with coriander and a wedge of lemon.

I served this with super-quick couscous and some steamed green beans. I put 50g of couscous in a wee jug with a pinch of marigold stock powder, and then poured in 75g boiling water, covered and let it sit for 3 minutes. 

Grilled Salmon Masala

This was the destiny of the second of four large salmon fillets. Again, this is from ‘Curry Easy‘ by Madhur Jaffrey, and it made me consider whether salmon tandoori could be a thing as well. The salmon would not need to be tenderised in yoghurt…

However, on with the main item on the menu – this was delicious, the combination of Dijon mustard and salmon is a revelation. It made two servings, with rice and green beans, which I cooked as suggested in the recipe book. Best to prepare the rice before grilling the salmon, it takes minutes. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • around 340 to 400g salmon fillet
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1/4 tsp of ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaf

METHOD:

  • Mix the salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper and rub this over the salmon. Cover and put into the fridge for 1 to 4 hours. 
  • Heat the grill to a high setting and set the oven to 180C
  • Mix the mustard, oil and lemon juice with the chopped coriander, and rub this mixture all over the fish. 
  • Grill the fish for around 4 minutes, and as it starts to brown, transfer it to the oven for around 10 minutes. 

 

Salmon in a Mustard Sauce (Bengali)

I defrosted a very large chunk of fresh salmon and filleted it. I am going to try this four ways, the first is from ‘Curry Easy‘ by Madhur Jaffrey. This is a very easy recipe and especially quick and delicious. I served it with plain rice and dal. Because it is so quick to cook, around 5 minutes, best to sort out the rice and dal first, and have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go. This made two large servings. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 400g approx fresh salmon, boned and skinned
  • salt
  • turmeric
  • cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 whole fresh hot green chillies, slit lengthways

METHOD:

  • Cut the fish into chunks around 2.5cm x 5cm, and put into a plastic container with a lid. Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, mix well and cover. Leave to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  • Put the mustard into a small bowl, and add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, mix and then add 7 tbsp water, and set aside for later.
  • When you are ready to cook, heat the oil in a medium saucepan, and when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, stir until they start to pop, and then add the cumin and fennel seeds. Stir again and add the mustard mixture. Add the chillies and bring to a simmer.
  • Place the fish into the sauce in a single layer, and simmer gently for 4 or 5 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through. Spoon the sauce over the fish as it cooks. 
  • And you’re done, ready to serve. 

Spicy fish and fennel soup

I bought a bag of fennel that was reduced, an impulse buy as I had been planning to cook a cauliflower and potato curry. I’d remembered that I had a large piece of poached salmon in the freezer, and I made this delicious stew. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 shallots, finely chopped (or use an onion)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 3 small fennel bulbs, finely chopped
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 3 tbsp pureed red peppers
  • salt and pepper
  • a dash of hot chilli sauce
  • a pinch of saffron
  • 1.3 litres of fish stock 
  • around 400g fish, off the bone (could be salmon, could be any fish, including shellfish)
  • a piece of orange peel
  • Grated cheese, to serve (optional)

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil in a large pan, and gently fry the onion. After a few minutes add the garlic, and then the fennel, and cook together for around five minutes. 
  • Add the tomatoes, orange peel, a good pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper, 3 tbsp red pepper puree, and a splash of chilli sauce. Simmer for five minutes
  • Add the stock, then bring the soup to a simmer, reducing slightly. Meanwhile, steep the saffron in a little hot water.
  • Once the soup looks to be a good consistency, slip in the fish and the saffron, and bring back to a simmer. 
  • When the fish is just cooked, and hot through, give the soup a good stir to mix everything up. If you can, retrieve the orange peel from the soup. 
  • Serve in large bowls with grated cheese on top. We tried it with cheddar, parmesan, it was good with gruyere as well. 

Salmon fishcakes

This is a relatively straightforward recipe with local ingredients. It was a bit of a breakthrough for me, as I finally got to grips with poaching salmon in the microwave. The original recipe includes details of a super-fancy sauce that I might post later. The sauce is a bit of work, TBH but it was tasty. 

Anyway, on to the fishcakes. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 300g raw salmon
  • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
  • water
  • 350g cooked potatoes, masked
  • 1 egg white
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • plain flour
  • 1 egg yolk and 1 egg, beaten together
  • breadcrumbs (I used panko breadcrumbs)

METHOD:

  • Poach the salmon. If you are doing this in a saucepan, put the salmon and onion and the lemon juice in the pan, just cover with water and then simmer for a few minutes until just cooked. Remove the fish from the pan, and allow to cool. Strain and reserve the stock. This can be used to make a fancy sauce (separate recipe).
  • If you are poaching the salmon in the microwave, put the salmon in a shallow dish with the onion and lemon juice, and 150ml boiling water. Cover and microwave on high for three minutes. Remove the salmon from the water and set aside to cool. 
  • When cool skin the salmon and remove any bones. Flake the flesh into a bowl, and add the potatoes, egg white, seasoning and parsley. Mix well. 
  • Divide the mixture into around 18 cakes. I made mine about the size of a pingpong ball, and then flattened them slightly. 
  • Dip each fish cake in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Chill until required. 
  • When you are ready, fry the fishcakes in hot oil. These are good with a green salad and a little tartare sauce. 

Salmon in a tomato cream curry sauce

I’ve been reading ‘Curry Easy’ again. I had some salmon fillet from the reduced section in the co-op and Madhur Jaffrey’s recipe book had several very good ideas. I picked this one, but now I want to go and buy more salmon so I can try the other recipes too. I did tweak it a bit so I didn’t have to go to the shops again. 

This is very easy to prepare the sauce and fish in the morning, ready to cook when you get in after work. I served this with rice, and stir-fried chard.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 600 to 700g salmon fillet
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 can of chopped tomatoes
  • 250ml single cream (approx.)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil 
  • 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds

METHOD:

  • Start by dividing the salmon into 8 pieces. Season with a little salt and black pepper, turmeric and cayenne, and leave to marinade in the fridge. I used a plastic container with a lid, but a plastic bag would do. 
  • Combine the tomatoes, cream salt sugar, garam masala, ground cumin, cayenne pepper and coriander leaves. Use a soup wand to make the sauce smooth. Just before using, stir in the lemon juice. 
  • To cook the fish, heat some oil in a pan, and when it is hot, add the cumin seeds, and cook for 10 seconds. 
  • Pour in the sauce and bring to a simmer before adding the salmon pieces. Spoon the sauce over the top of the fish, and continue this way for another 4 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. 

 

Salar smoked salmon frittata

I’m home alone this week, Mr Bolton is checking up on family members in the south, sleeping in his van and stocking up on essentials. I have a lot of eggs, and a lot of potatoes, so frittata was inevitable. I also had a box of Salar off-cuts from a local supermarket, so I made this. I had half last night and half tonight. 

salmon frittata

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 medium potatoes, cooked with the skins on and cooled. (left-over potatoes are the best)
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • black pepper
  • flaky smoked salmon
  • Olive oil
  • Garnish – choose from chive flowers, chopped parsley, or dukkha spice mix

METHOD:

  • Heat the grill
  • Cut the potatoes into thick slices, and fry in the olive oil until crisp and golden brown on both sides
  • Season the eggs with the pepper, and pour over the potatoes, and scatter the salmon and garnish over the top. Stir a little to allow raw egg to the bottom of the pan. 
  • When it is nearly cooked, pop it under the grill so that the top begins to set. 

That is all – ready to eat. 

 

 

Salmon and mash

Our fridge went on the blink, so we are making our way through a selection of ingredients that need eaten up. At the same time, we have got a lot of vegetables, mostly home-grown. Tonight’s triumph sorted out the massive bit of smoked salmon, a jar of capers and a lemon that needed used, plus some of the potatoes. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 500g potatoes (a variety good for mashing)
  • 500g sliced leeks
  • 250g shredded cabbage
  • 125g butter
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp capers
  • 500g smoked salmon (or a mixture of salmon, prawns and scallops)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chopped parsley

METHOD:

  • Peel the potatoes, and boil in salted water for 15 minutes until cooked. Drain when cooked. 
  • Meanwhile chop the leeks and boil in salted water for 10 minutes. 
  • After around 5 minutes, add the shredded cabbage to the leeks, so that the cabbage cooks as well, and is ready at the same time. 
  • Melt half the butter in a pan, and roughly mask the potatoes. Add the cabbage and leeks, salt and pepper. 
  • Quickly fry any raw shellfish in the rest of the butter, if you are using these. Add the lemon juice, capers and the salmon, and season with salt and pepper, heat until warm. 
  • Serve each scoop of mashed potato with a scoop of the salmon, garnished with chopped parsley