Sake Poached Salmon With Somen And Fennel Salad Food

FENNEL POACHED SALMON WITH RED CURRANT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a fish poacher place salmon and add water just to cover. Remove salmon to a plate. To poacher add onion, carrot, celery, fennel, lemon juice, white wine, peppercorns, salt and bring mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper, and add it back to poaching liquid and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until salmon is cooked through. Remove salmon, cool for a few minutes and carefully remove skin. Chill covered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours before serving with sauce. Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium high heat add vinegar and reduce by half. Add preserves and horseradish and heat thoroughly. Stir in lemon zest and remove from heat. Serve warm with fish.

SAKE POACHED SALMON WITH SOMEN AND FENNEL SALAD WASABI AND LEFTOVERS: SALMON SALAD SANDWICH WITH TARO CHIPS

Steps:

• In a salmon poacher or large saucepot, mix the sake, celery, carrot, onion, sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns, soy sauce, and water, to cover. Add the seasoned salmon and slowly bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes then turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes depending on doneness desired. I prefer medium rare (5 minutes). In a blender, add ponzu, shallots, 1/2 tablespoon togarashi, soy, and sugar. Blend on high speed and drizzle in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix together fennel, somen, and scallions and toss with enough vinaigrette to coat the salad. There will be some left over for plating. Check for seasoning.
• Plating: On a large plate, place a mound of the salad and top with hot salmon. Drizzle on a little of the vinaigrette and garnish with remaining togarashi and fennel fronds.
• In a bowl, mix together the wasabi aioli, salmon, and celery. Check for seasoning. Build the sandwich with the tomato and lettuce. Slice on the bias. Fry chips until golden brown and crisp. Season lightly with salt.
• In a food processor, add wasabi paste, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and yolks. While processor is on, drizzle in oil, slowly at first until it emulsifies then more quickly. Check for seasoning. Store in refrigerator. Plating: Serve sandwich with taro chips.

SAKE SALMON AND RICE

Steps:

• In a freezer bag, combine the mustard or wasabi paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy, oil, and sake and add the salmon fillets. Leave to marinate for about 20 minutes.
• Follow packet instructions for the rice, or rice-cooker handbook or just put rice in a pan, bruise cardamom pods and chuck them in too, and put double the volume of water as you have rice. Bring to the boil, then turn down to the lowest you possibly can, clamp on a lid and leave until the rice has absorbed the water and is cooked, about 15 minutes.
• Heat a smooth griddle or nonstick skillet, and cook the salmon fillets for 1 1/2 minutes on 1 side then a minute on the other side. Remove the salmon, double wrapping each fillet in foil parcels and let them rest for 10 minutes on a wooden board or a pile of newspapers.
• Bring the sake to a boil in a tiny little saucepan, like one you might melt butter in, to let the alcohol taste evaporate. Take the pan off the heat and add the other sauce ingredients.
• Unwrap the salmon fillets, removing them to a wooden board for carving as you do so.
• Arrange some freshly boiled rice on 2 plates, and slice the salmon fillets into thin slices. Lay the carved salmon on top of the rice and spoon over the sauce, letting it gloss the fish and drip here and there over the rice. Scatter the cilantro on top.

COLD POACHED SALMON WITH TOMATO AND HERBS

Steps:

• To poach salmon, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season salmon all over with salt and pepper. Bring stock or juice to a boil in a large ovenproof skillet. Add fish, so they are barely touching, and bring liquid back to a boil. Turn fish over, then cover with a piece of parchment paper coated with olive oil. Transfer to oven and bake 5 minutes. Turn fish over, cover again, and bake an additional 2 minutes. (Drain and reserve the liquid in the pan for use as stock.) Transfer fish to a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until serving time.
• To make dressing, remove stems and finely chop all herbs. If these fresh herbs are not available, substitute chives, mint, marjoram, or chervil. Watercress or the bright yellow leaves inside celery stalks are also preferable to dried herbs. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, and reserve in refrigerator.
• To serve, arrange each fillet on a lettuce lined serving plate. Spoon on tomato and herb mixture. We like to serve with various garnishes such as radishes, sliced avocado, pickles or olives around the salmon.

BAKED SALMON WITH FENNEL & TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Trim the fronds from the fennel and set aside. Cut the fennel bulbs in half, then cut each half into 3 wedges. Cook in boiling salted water for 10 mins, then drain well. Chop the fennel fronds roughly, then mix with the parsley and lemon zest.
• Spread the drained fennel over a shallow ovenproof dish, then add the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, then bake for 10 mins. Nestle the salmon among the veg, sprinkle with lemon juice, then bake 15 mins more until the fish is just cooked. Scatter over the parsley and serve.

EASY POACHED SALMON

Steps:

• First make the poaching liquid for the fish. Put the peppercorns, 2 tsp salt, vinegar, fennel, bay leaves and parsley stalks in a saucepan with 2.5 litres of water, and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 mins so all the flavours infuse into the liquid.
• Make sure that you choose a roasting tin big enough to hold the salmon fillet. Strain the liquid into the empty tin, bring to the boil on the hob, then add the fish, skin-side down, making sure it is covered in liquid. Scatter around the lemon slices, and simmer gently for 1-2 mins until the fish changes colour completely. Cover the surface with a large piece of foil, turn off the heat and leave to cool completely. The fish will cook as the liquid cools.
• To make the salsa verde, put all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, then blitz to make a bright, slightly chunky sauce. Season to taste.
• Carefully remove the salmon to a serving platter and peel away the skin if you like. Serve with the salsa verde, new potatoes and asparagus.