Chetinaad Spiced Salmon Steaks Mustard Cress Potatoes Tomato Food

HOT-SMOKED SALMON, DOUBLE CRESS & POTATO SALAD PLATTER

Steps:

• To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl with some seasoning or place them in a screwcap jar and shake well. Can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cook the potatoes in plenty of boiling water for 10 mins until just tender. Drain, cool slightly, then slice.
• While the potatoes are cooking, blanch the green beans in plenty of boiling water for 4 mins until cooked but still with a slight crunch, drain, refresh in iced water to stop them cooking further, then drain again. Cook the quail's eggs for 3 mins. Drain, place under cold water, then peel and halve. Flake the salmon into large chunks into a bowl and slice the spring onions. All these jobs can be done in advance. Just before serving, halve, peel and slice the avocados.
• This is a layered salad rather than a tossed salad, so start by scattering the watercress and chicory over a platter. Scatter different handfuls at a time of all the other ingredients (but not the mustard cress) so that they are evenly distributed. Drizzle over two-thirds of the dressing, then strew over the mustard cress. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.

SALMON & POTATO BAKE WITH A CHEESE & MUSTARD SAUCE!

Steps:

• to start with, take the potatoes - more or less if desired, adjust ingredients amounts to suit how many people are being catered for - peel & rinse them.
• slice the potatoes into relatively thin slices & then place into a saucepan with lightly salted boiling water.
• par boil for about 10 minutes approx' or until slightly soft.
• meanwhile, rinse the salmon & then chop into small chunks.
• once the potatoes have boiled sufficiently, drain them off & then place potatoe slices into an oven proof dish, overlapping each other.
• on top of that, add a generous amount of the salmon chunks & season to taste.
• once done, add milk to a saucepan & bring to the boil.
• grate your strong cheddar cheese.
• once boiled, add cornflour to a cup with a little amount of milk in the bottom & stir thoroughly to form a smooth paste.
• then, slowly add the milky paste a little at a time to the boiling milk - being sure to keep stirring the whole time to avoid lumps.
• repeat this action until the milk has thickened to become 'sauce' like.
• when it does, add the garlic, red chilli, mustard, strong cheddar cheese & fresh parsley & stir thoroughly until nice & smooth.
• bring back to the boil & then reduce heat & simmer for 5-10 minutes more until all the flavours have infused together, stirring all the time to ensure there are no lumps in the sauce.
• again, season to taste if need be, stir again then pour over the potatoes & salmon chunks in the oven proof dish.
• grate a generous amount of fresh parmesan cheese over the top & then place in a pre-heated (190C degrees approx') oven for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until fully cooked.
• you can crisp the top up if you like using the grill.
• once cooked, remove from the oven, garnish with a little more parsley & serve! --
• adjust cooking times & temps in accordance with your oven.
• if you love or hate this recipe or if you can think of a better way to cook it, please let me know, thank you & enjoy! -- .

SPICE-CRUSTED SALMON WITH SAUTéED POTATOES & SPINACH

Steps:

• Start by toasting the fennel, coriander and mustard seeds in a dry frying pan on a low heat, about 8-10 mins. Once you start to smell the rich aromas of the spices, you know they have cooked through. If they start to smoke, the spices will taste bitter and it would be better to start again. Once toasted, roughly crush using a pestle and mortar, or wrap the spices in a tea towel and crush with the base of a small saucepan. Stir in a pinch of black pepper.
• Scrape the skin sides of the salmon with a knife to get rid of any remaining scales, and scrape off as much of the film of moisture you sometimes get (this helps to get the skin crisp). Slash the skin 3 times, about 3cm in length, to stop it shrinking during cooking.
• Tip the spice mix onto a plate, lay the fish on it, skin-side up, so that the spices cover the underside of the fish. You can do this a few hrs ahead to help infuse the fish with the spices. You can also start the sauce ahead - put the finely chopped shallots in a pan with the vinegar, fish stock and saffron. Bring to the boil, then reduce by two-thirds. Set aside.
• Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil and boil for 1-2 mins only, then drain. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the turmeric and chilli powder, if using. Toss the potatoes in the spiced oil, then cook for 5 mins without stirring. Shake the pan and cook for 5-10 mins more, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Season and keep warm.
• When ready to cook the salmon, rub the skin sides with some oil, then fry in a pan (skin-sides down) on a medium heat with a little bit more oil, pressing down lightly on the fish for a few secs when it first goes in the pan. Don't touch the fish or move the pan for about 5-6 mins - this ensures you get beautiful crisp skin. When the edges start to look golden, turn the fish over and cook for 1 more min.
• While the fish is cooking, cook the spinach in a large pan of boiling water for 2 mins. Drain, then squeeze out the excess water. Return to the pan and stir in the butter. This will form a simple emulsion, which will prevent water running out over the plate. Season.
• To finish the sauce, warm the pan of reduced mixture until hot. Take off the heat, then whisk in all the butter, reserving 2-3 cubes. Once the butter is amalgamated, stir in remaining cubes. Season with pepper and use immediately.
• Place a spoonful of spinach in the middle of each plate, then lay the salmon on top. Scatter some potatoes and pour some sauce around the fish. Sprinkle a few sea salt flakes over the fish and serve.