Thank you Waitrose
Originally uploaded by Manne.
When I really have no clue what I want to cook, I usually do a quick look online just before I leave the office to see what recipes I can find that are inspiring, quick to cook and slightly different.
Today I checked out Waitrose's web site for the first time since I have seen the recipe leaflets and brochures they hand out in store. Found this excellent recipe called "Oriental Salmon and Soya Bean Salad" that looked yum.
Now, I don't live near a Waitrose, I don't even have one on my way back home from work so despite the recipe mentioning almost exclusively Waitrose specific ingredients I decided to take my chances with my local Tesco and improvise if there was something I couldn't find (right, miso paste at Tesco, I think not).
This is the result, after quite a lot of improv. Still yum, and really healthy too. And so quick to cook.
Ingredients (serves 2, or me coming home after a long run)
2 salmon fillets (skin still on)
1 tin of broad beans
1/2 pack of string beans (full pack is 265 gr)
2 chopped shallots
8 cherry tomatoes on the vine, halved
1 pack of fresh coriander (30 gr)
1 tbsp Chinese Five Spice paste
1 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp corn or potato flour
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cooking oil
Method
Start with cutting the string beans in half. Put them in a steamer for five minutes, and simmer the broad beans in a sauce pan for the same amount of time. Also chop up the coriander and put in a salad bowl.
While the beans are tendering up, make the dressing. In a small bowl put the chilli sauce, the Chinese Five Spice paste, the soy sauce and 2 tbsp of boiling water. Give it a good stir so the paste dissolves. Set aside.
When the beans are done, put them in a cold water bath so they cool down and crisp up a bit.
Mix the chopped shallots with the corn flour in a bowl until the shallots are evenly coated. Warm a non stick frying pan on high heat, add half of the oils, then add in the shallots. Fry until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside on a kitchen paper towel.
Return the frying pan to the heat and add the remaining oil in. Now place the salmon fillets skinside down (Waitrose says skinside up which is bonkers, you want the skin down from the start so it crisps up) and let fry for 4-6 minutes (depending on thickness) until you can see the meat getting light and opaque up until just under half the thickness of the fish. Flip them over (see how golden and crispy the skin now is?) and let fry for another 3-5 minutes until completely heated through and crispy on both sides. Be careful not to over cook them and ruin the velvety goodness inside.
While the salmon is cooking, put the beans, the shallots and the tomatoes in the salad bowl with the coriander and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of the dressing. Mix it all up.
When the fish is done, place a small mound of salad on a plate and the salmon on top. Drizzle some of the remaining dressing over the fish and salad, serve immediately.
Absolutely bonkers good.
This is the result, after quite a lot of improv. Still yum, and really healthy too. And so quick to cook.
Ingredients (serves 2, or me coming home after a long run)
2 salmon fillets (skin still on)
1 tin of broad beans
1/2 pack of string beans (full pack is 265 gr)
2 chopped shallots
8 cherry tomatoes on the vine, halved
1 pack of fresh coriander (30 gr)
1 tbsp Chinese Five Spice paste
1 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp corn or potato flour
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cooking oil
Method
Start with cutting the string beans in half. Put them in a steamer for five minutes, and simmer the broad beans in a sauce pan for the same amount of time. Also chop up the coriander and put in a salad bowl.
While the beans are tendering up, make the dressing. In a small bowl put the chilli sauce, the Chinese Five Spice paste, the soy sauce and 2 tbsp of boiling water. Give it a good stir so the paste dissolves. Set aside.
When the beans are done, put them in a cold water bath so they cool down and crisp up a bit.
Mix the chopped shallots with the corn flour in a bowl until the shallots are evenly coated. Warm a non stick frying pan on high heat, add half of the oils, then add in the shallots. Fry until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside on a kitchen paper towel.
Return the frying pan to the heat and add the remaining oil in. Now place the salmon fillets skinside down (Waitrose says skinside up which is bonkers, you want the skin down from the start so it crisps up) and let fry for 4-6 minutes (depending on thickness) until you can see the meat getting light and opaque up until just under half the thickness of the fish. Flip them over (see how golden and crispy the skin now is?) and let fry for another 3-5 minutes until completely heated through and crispy on both sides. Be careful not to over cook them and ruin the velvety goodness inside.
While the salmon is cooking, put the beans, the shallots and the tomatoes in the salad bowl with the coriander and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of the dressing. Mix it all up.
When the fish is done, place a small mound of salad on a plate and the salmon on top. Drizzle some of the remaining dressing over the fish and salad, serve immediately.
Absolutely bonkers good.
