Baked Parmesan Salmon

I have to admit to nicking this idea from a Hellman's Mayonnaise tv advert!  I tarted it up a little - of course, and they used chicken instead of fish.  The Italians insist that fish and cheese don't go together, but I think, used judiciously, they can make a good pairing.  I wouldn't go down the Cheddar route with salmon, but Parmesan is fine.  For two fillets of salmon, I put 2 tablespoons of full-fat Hellman's mayo in a bowl, stirred in 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a splash of Worcestershire sauce and 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan.  Lightly oil a sheet of foil on a baking tray, put the salmon fillets on and spread the flavoured mayo over each of them.  Top with a little more Parmesan and some black pepper, then bake at 200C (fan) for 12-15 minutes until the fish is just cooked through (this depends on the thickness of the fish so do check early) and bubbling brown on top.  Serve with lemon wedges.  Surprisingly nice and lovely for this hot weather!

Cajun Salmon with Sauteed Kale and Cannellini Beans

The weather here in Oxford has been so beautiful for the last few days.  Warm and sunny and making me think of Betjemen's hymn to Oxford in Spring: "pinkly bursts the spray of prunus and forsythia across the public way" - although the poem is about May-time in Oxford, it perfectly describes it right now, with pink cherry blossoms and yellow forsythia all over the city, contrasting with the honeyed Cotswold stone.  Inevitably, one wants lighter, fresher food in this sort of weather, and this combination worked beautifully.  Simple grilled salmon with Cajun rub, accompanied by shredded kale stir fried in olive oil with shredded leek, chopped garlic, fresh rosemary and a tiny splash of red wine vinegar at the end to freshen and add depth and a tin of drained, rinsed cannellini beans stirred through.  This is actually at its best served warm rather than hot, and a glug of peppery extra virgin olive oil over the greens and beans just before serving, with a spritz of lemon, made for a most delicious supper with a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Baked Salmon with Lemon and Parsley Crust

I have made a variation of this for years, but with a breadcrumb topping of olive oil, parsley, garlic and Parmesan.  It is delicious, but this version was altogether fresher and lighter and made a welcome change.  It is based on a recipe from Lorraine Pascale's latest book, "Home Cooking Made Easy".  For two, all you do is blitz a slice of good white bread with about 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, a clove of crushed garlic, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, the finely-grated zest of a lemon, and 15g of melted butter.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Put 2 fillets of salmon on baking parchment or buttered foil on a baking sheet and pile the crumbs on top.  It doesn't matter if some tumbles off, you will just have some extra crisp crumbs to serve along-side.  Now bake in a hot oven (200C) for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish and how well done you like it.  I don't mind mine a little rosy in the middle, but leave them in up to a further 5 minutes, watching so the crumbs don't burn.  Serve straight away with the zested lemon cut to squeeze over at the table.  Simple and delicious, served with stems of purple sprouting broccoli and some sauteed potatoes.

Broccoli and Salmon Pasta Bake

Nursing two broken toes has meant a rather less ambitious couple of weeks in the kitchen, hence the quietness on here recently (although I did manage to make 8 Christmas puddings last weekend......).  So it is nice to be able to be a little more ambitious in the last day or two as they get better.  This adaptation of a BBC Good Food recipe went down well.  It is, essentially, raw fillets of boneless, skinless salmon laid on a baking dish, topped with penne and broccoli in a cheese sauce, then baked for 20 minutes until brown and bubbling and the fish cooked through.  The sauce also has sun-dried tomatoes, basil and capers added (and anchovies, if liked - I don't).  The original recipe uses mascarpone and, lovely though that is, it is too rich for a week-day supper.  So I just used  ordinary milk and made a bechamel with it instead.  You'll find the original recipe on the Good Food website - a nice way to use ubiquitous salmon, and filling and comforting as the nights get colder.  You could vary this endlessly - use leeks, spinach, Swiss chard or mushrooms instead of broccoli, and chicken or ham instead of salmon (though I'd probably lightly cook the chicken first).

Pasta with Salmon and Courgette Sauce

I was ticked off today for not doing enough blogging over the last week, so, simple though this dish is, I thought I'd placate my fans and publish it!  I had some poached salmon left over from the weekend, so whilst a pan of pasta was cooking, I lightly sauteed a sliced courgette in a little butter with the zest of half a lemon, then added 40ml of Noilly Prat vermouth (or use white wine), the juice of the lemon, a heaped tablespoon of creme fraiche (use half-fat if watching your intake) and the flaked salmon.  GENTLY heat through (you don't want to split the cream or make the salmon go 'woolly'), and then drain the pasta, reserving a little cooking water, and toss the pasta in the sauce.  Thin with a little cooking water if needed.  Grind in lots of black pepper and some chopped parsley, and serve piping hot.  Italinas would never dream of adding Parmesan to a fish sauce, neither would I, but don't let me stop you, it's YOUR tea!

Asian Rice Salad with Salmon

A chat with a friend on Facebook inspired me to knock this salad up for lunch tomorrow - it consists of cooked basmati rice (about 100g dry weight for 2), mixed with a dressing of coriander, lime juice and zest, a little olive oil and some sweet chilli sauce (the same as I used to dress the pasta with crab earlier).  This was mixed with grated carrot, chopped cucumber, a spring onion and some chopped mint.  I had some cooked salmon so that has been popped on the top to be flaked and forked through as we eat it for lunch.  Smells divine, and the spoonful I tasted was pretty good too.  Season well with salt and pepper - cold rice always needs it.  Dunno the cals - probably around the 450 mark because of the salmon, but it is good fat, man!  Omegas and all that sh!t.

One-pot Salmon with Roasted Asparagus and New Potatoes

picture courtesy of www.bbcgoodfood.com

Could dinner have been any yummier or simpler?  I found this on the BBC Good Food site, which is a very reliable pitstop when I run out of ideas.  Over 110 people have rated this a 5-star dish and they weren't wrong.  I can do no better than link straight to the recipe and pinch their picture.   A couple of changes (of course!): I used some lovely fillets of hot-smoked salmon and popped them on top of the roasted veg for just three minutes to gently warm through in the oven.  And rather than balsamic at the end, I drizzled over some fresh pesto, which was a gentler finish - sometimes I find balsamic vinegar a bit harsh....unless you've shelled out an arm, leg and kidney for the good stuff from Modena.  Anyway, do make this - I know I will again.

Creamy Fish Pie

So, last night, I had a lump of leftover smoked haddock from the previous night's Kedgeree in the fridge, and had originally intended to make a recipe my sister suggested - a cauliflower and smoked haddock souffle.  However, it was cold, and we were tired from a week at work, and needed comfort - sorry Sis, but Fish Pie won the day!  I promise I'll try your recipe soon and blog about it on here.  Anyway, comfort indeed, with a fillet each of cod and salmon rescued from the depths of the freezer and the aforementioned smoked haddock, folded into a creamy bechamel sauce with a touch of white vermouth, sauteed mushrooms, frozen peas and lots of parsley and dill - oh, and a leftover boiled egg from yesterday too.  Topped with creamy mash and baked until lovely and golden, it was a marvellous supper, and we drank a fine white Burgundy in it's honour.

Salmon en papillote

I love baking salmon fillets (and other fish fillets for that matter) en papillote - it keeps the flesh super-moist, creates a sauce, reduces washing up and also seems to cut down on some of salmon's oilyness.  I take a sheet of foil and top it with a smaller sheet of baking parchment.  Then build the dish - you can simply put the fish in with a dot of butter, some lemon and seasoning.  Or you can put a bed of spinach, chard, julienned leeks, whatever, on the bottom first, then lay the fish on top.  I added some lemon and a tablespoon of Noilly Prat (white wine would be fine), then sealed the package tightly, placed on a baking tray and baked in a hot oven (200 degrees) for 20 minutes.  The smell when you unwrap the parcel is divine.  Serve as it is with the juices poured over, or pour the juices into a pan and boil for a minute, then stir in a spoonful of double cream or creme fraiche and some chives for a bit of indulgence.  I'll leave you to guess what we did.

Baked Salmon with Spiced Chickpeas and Spinach

I wonder why Alex Mackay isn't better known? He is a Kiwi chef who worked for many years with the legendary Raymond Blanc. He has written a great book on Provencal cooking, and also writes from time to time for Sainsbury magazine. A couple of years ago, I cut this recipe from there and cooked it tonight - simple and delicious! Make a 'papillote' of a big sheet of foil per person, lined with another sheet of baking parchment. On this, lay a handful of spinach leaves per person. Take a tin of chickpeas, rinse, and mix in a bowl with half a tin of good chopped tomatoes, a chopped clove of garlic, a chopped spring onion and a half teaspoon of garam masala powder. Divide this amongst the spinach parcels - this quantity serves two. Place a salmon fillet (organic if possible) on each pile of chickpeas and dot with a wee bit of butter, and some salt and pepper. Scrunch up the parcels, sealing well, and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a really hot oven, 200 C, for 20 minutes, and then unwrap. The smell is glorious as the fragrant steam puffs out.

Baked Salmon with a Spiced Lime Crust [#225]

I had a good big piece of organic farmed salmon delivered by Ocado yesterday, so baked the whole thing with a lovely crust of a few breadcrumbs, mixed with lime zest and juice, ground cumin, 5-spice powder, grated ginger and garlic, and lots of chopped fresh coriander. This was adapted from Judith Wills and certainly didn't feel like it was a worthy low-fat dish! The fish emerged after 20 minutes in a hot oven, sumptuously moist, with a lovely topping. Loads of leftovers, which I'll turn into a luxury kedgeree tomorrow. The pleasure was extended by a bottle of NZ Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - sauvignon nirvana

A Salad of Red Mullet with Lime and Ginger [#144]

Well........salmon, instead of red mullet, which I couldn't get anywhere. And I baked the salmon in the dressing rather than cooking the fish separately and then dousing it in the dressing afterwards, which Nigel's original recipe suggested. Delicious Asian flavours, and it ate very well with a big mound of stir-fried pak choi, courgettes, red peppers and spring onions mixed into egg noodles. We drank a dry Aussie Reisling which matched the lime and lime leaves in the dressing beautifully.

Baked Salmon [#93]

Nigel's original recipe calls for dill, which I didn't have. Still lovely, though, a great big side of organic farmed salmon, baked in parchment and foil with lemon and a touch of Noilly Prat vermouth. Served cold with a dish of grated cucumber mixed with mayo and Greek yoghurt, lemon juice and mustard, and with Jersey Royals and asparagus to accompany. Very English, very early summer, loads of leftovers. Followed with the remaining little Lemon Amaretti Cream Pots from yesterday. Heaven.

photo courtesy of www.apotofteaandabiscuit.blogspot.com

Salmon and Dill Fishcakes [#74]

The Challenge took a back-seat this week, as a busy time at work and socially got in the way. So, nice to get back on track with yet another excellent example of Nigel's brilliance at all things fishcakes, patties and meatballs. He really ought to write a book dedicated to the subject. Anyway, these were delicious morsels that sang with flavour - you do need to be generous with the dill (and, for once, the quantity of mustard Nigel used in the mix was just right!). Served with our first Jersey Royals of the season, some splendid local white sprouting broccoli, and baked mushrooms, we had a healthy and satisfying supper under our belts. Went down well with a bottle of Wolf Blass Yellow Label Chardonnay, a reliable stalwart of ours over the years, whatever the vintage.