Download February 2011 - Bite Magazine

BiteFeb2011:Layout 1 27/1/11 20:48 Page 21Crispy-Skin Salmon withWasabi Soba Noodleshis is an interpretation of one of my best friendAbbey’s dishes, and I love it! It holds fond memoriesTof me, Abbey and Julie munching away at it over aglass of wine while having a good old girly catch-up. It is areally tasty dish that you can throw together very quickly:the heady wasabi and creamy mayonnaise make a terrificdressing for the aromatic and bitey soba noodles and thecrunchy veggies add texture. Abbey and I had a cateringcompany for a few years and we used to serve this dish onChinese soup spoons as canapés.21Serves 4 – Preparation time10 minutes – Cooking time15 minutes250g soba noodles(if you can find black ones, they’lllook beautiful)6 tablespoons soy sauce4 tablespoons mirin(sweet rice wine)a 3cm piece of fresh root ginger,peeled and grated1 teaspoon sugar4 salmon steaks, skin on4 tablespoons mayonnaise1 teaspoon wasabi50g sugar-snap peas, sliced onthe diagonal½ red pepper, seeded and cutinto matchsticks1 medium carrot, peeled and cutinto matchsticks1 spring onion, cut intomatchsticks3 tablespoons groundnut oil1 tablespoon sesame seedsMethodCook the noodles according to the packet instructions.Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce, mirin, grated ginger andsugar in a bowl. Soak the salmon steaks in this marinade for5 minutes, or longer if you want, although it’s not reallynecessary here.To make the noodle sauce, mix the mayo and wasabitogether in a mixing bowl. Add the cooked warm noodles,along with all the veggies, and mix thoroughly. Dividebetween 4 plates.Take the salmon out of the marinade and wipe off anyexcess. Reserve the rest of the marinade. Pan-fry thesalmon, skin side down, in the oil for 6 minutes or until theskin has turned really golden and crisp, being careful not tocook it too quickly otherwise the sugar in the marinade willburn. Turn the salmon over and finish cooking it on theother side for a couple of minutes or until golden. Removethe salmon from the pan with a fish slice and drain onkitchen paper. Pour away the oil, then add the reservedmarinade to the pan and leave it to bubble away untilslightly syrupy.Lay a piece of salmon on each plate, drizzle with a little ofthe marinade and sprinkle over some sesame seeds.