Crispy Skinned Salmon With Maitake Dashi Food

DASHI

Steps:

• Wipe konbu with a damp cloth to clean.
• In a stock pot, place konbu and cold water over medium heat. Just before the water begins to boil (DO NOT BOIL!) pull off heatand let stand 5 minutes.
• Remove konbu, and bring back to heat. Again, right before stock begins to boil, remove from heat and add the bonito flakes. When flakes sink to the bottom, strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Dashi can hold in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

CRISPY SKIN SALMON

Steps:

• Dry skin: Pat the skin of the salmon very well with a paper towel until dry. If time permits, place the salmon skin side up in the fridge for 1 hour (uncovered,) to dry it out even more.
• Season: Drizzle flesh side with half the oil (just a tiny bit) and rub over skin. Sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Turn fillet over and repeat. Do not do this step until just before cooking.
• Heat oil: Put enough oil in a large non stick skillet so it fully covers the base. Heat on medium high until it shimmers (but not smoking).
• Skin side down: Place salmon in the skillet skin side down, then immediately turn the head down to medium.
• Press down: Using a spatula or something similar, press down on each salmon for 10 seconds so the skin is pushed flat against the skillet and "sets" its form. If you can do at least two at a time that is ideal.
• Cook 7 minutes: Cook for 7 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked 3/4 of the way through (you will see the colour changing up the side of the salmon) and the skin is crispy.
• 90 sec on flesh side: Flip the salmon to skin side is up and cook for a further 90 seconds.
• Final skin blast! (My secret tip) Flip the salmon again to skin side down, turn the heat up to medium high and cook the skin side again for 60 seconds, just to give it a final blast of heat to reinforce crispiness!
• Serve skin side UP to protect the crispy skin. Fish skin will only stay crispy while it's hot, so serve immediately! Pictured in post with creamy Lemon & Herb Risotto which acts as a side dish and semi-sauce (super easy no-stir recipe!).

DASHI

Steps:

• Soak: The day before making dashi, place kombu on a flat surface and use a damp paper towel to wipe away some of the salt. Pull the heads off the anchovies, open them up with your fingers, and use your thumbnail to scrape out the guts (which should be discarded). Place kombu, cleaned anchovies, and shiitakes in a large pot. Add the cold water. Cover pot and let soak at room temperature, 10-12 hours. (Alternatively, store in the refrigerator for up to a week before making dashi.)
• Simmer: Place pot over high heat, uncovered, until the surface of the water begins to ripple, but do not allow it to come to a boil. Lower heat to a very low flame: the ideal temperature is a few degrees below a light boil (55 degrees C or 131 degrees F). Taste every 20 minutes to monitor the changes in flavor and texture; the dashi will usually be finished in around 80-90 minutes. You are looking for a sea essence, with a tiny hint of sweetness and a very silky texture (similar to Evian water), with no real seasoning. Be vigilant, as dashi will turn bitter if cooked too long. Strain and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 day. After 24 hours, the dashi will begin to lose some of its characteristic flavor, and will go slightly flat. Cooked and cooled dashi can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.