Salmon Recipes

Seared Smoked Salmon, Crispy Beans and Chive Butter Sauce

Nick Nairn

I've "borrowed" this dish from my good friend and top chef Phil Vickery. He prepared something similar on a TV programme called Who'll Do the Pudding? Tucking into the remains of Phil's food, I remarked that it was an excellent and clever dish. The ever-cynical Vickery replied that he was certain to find it in one of my books in the future, and sure enough here it is - my way, of course!

1 To make the batter, whisk the flour, lager and salt and pepper together until smooth.

2 Heat the oil to 190 degrees C/ 375 F in an electric deep-fat fryer or large pan (use cooking thermometer if necessary). Dip the beans into the batter a few at a time. Plunge into the hot oil and fry for a few minutes until crisp. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in the oven with the door open while you fry the rest..

3 Stir the chives into the Butter Sauce and keep warm for a few minutes while you cook the salmon (but do not let it boil or it will split).

4 Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot and fry the salmon escalopes on one side for one minute until beginning to brown but still moist. Lift out of the pan on to a plate and keep warm..

5 To serve, place a pile of beans on each plate and set a couple of slices of salmon on top, spoon over the chive butter sauce and serve immediately.

Copyright Nick Nairn 2002

Serves  4

oil, for deep frying

350g (12 oz) long beans, topped and strings removed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

6 tablespoons Butter Sauce (see page 20 of book)

250g (9oz) smoked salmon, sliced into escalopes (see page 10 of book)

For the beer batter

250 g (9 oz) self-raising flour

300 ml (1/2 pint) lager

freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon Butter Baked Salmon, Tagliatelle and Parsley

Nick Nairn

This dish is so simple yet so tasty. If you've got time, you could use home-made pasta here; if not, dried thin tagliatelle or linguine will do a fabulous job. What make this dish so good are the salmon juices, which mingle with the butter and lemon in the oven, so when you're pouring them over the pasta, use a spatula to scrape out every last drop.

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

2 Melt the butter in a small roasting tin and add the lemon rind and juice. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.

3 Lay the salmon fillets in the roasting tin and turn them around in the lemony butter, ending up skinned-side down. Place in the oven for 7-8 minutes until cooked through but still moist inside. To test whether the salmon is done, give the fattest part a gentle squeeze and it should give slightly - if it's still wobbly, pop it back into the oven for another couple of minutes. If it feels solid, it's overcooked.

4 Meanwhile, throw the pasta into a large pan of boiling salted water and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente. Take the salmon out of the roasting tin and place on a warmed plate. Drain the pasta, mix with the lemony buttery juices collected in the salmon roasting tin and add the parsley. Divide the parsley between four warmed plates. Set the baked salmon fillet on top and tuck in!

Copyright Nick Nairn 2002

Serves  4

50g (2oz) butter

finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 x 175g (6oz) salmon fillets, skinned

350g (12oz) dried tagliatelle

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Spicy Salmon Broth

Nick Nairn

I normally make this soup using a blend of fish stock and mussel juices; however, I know that most home cooks don't have ready access to that kind of kit, and so for this book I experimented using a fish stock cube - not great. I then tried my personal favourite, a Knorr chicken stock cube, and found that it made a really good soup, although perhaps not acceptable to "pescatarians" ( I know, it was a new one on me, too - it means fish - eating vegetarians!); alternatively you could use a vegetable stock cube. The base can be made in advance and freezes well. Add the salmon just prior to serving. Be careful not to overcook the salmon; it needs only a couple of minutes. You can check by breaking one of the pieces open - it should still be nice and pink inside.

1 Heat the oil in a large pan and add the ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass. Cook over a low heat until softened.

2 Add the stock and splash in the Thai fish sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the spring onions and cook for a further 3 minutes.

3 Add the fish with the coriander and simmer for 2 minutes or until the fish is cooked. Taste, season with salt and pepper and add more fish sauce or soy sauce if you like - it should be quite punchy! Ladle into warm bowls and serve.

Copyright Nick Nairn 2002

Serves  4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

25g (1oz) fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced into slivers

1 large fresh red chilli, seeded and cut into matchsticks

1 whole bird's eye chilli

1 stem of lemongrass, chopped

1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken or vegetable stock

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)

1 tablespoon light soy sauce ( preferably Kikkoman's)

juice of 1 lime

4 spring onions, finely shredded

175 - 225g (6 - 8 oz) salmon fillet, cut into medallions ( see page 10 -11)

3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh coriander

freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Orange and Coriander Marinated Salmon

Nick Nairn

In the Latin American world this dish is known as escabeche, meaning "pickled fish". The fish is normally coated in flour and fried before being marinated in olive oil, vinegar and herbs and spices. I have simplified this by pan-frying the salmon without coating in flour - it tastes and looks much cleaner! Serve it at room temperature, not straight out of the fridge. Instead of using fresh coriander, you could try fresg marjoram or oregano, or even freeze-dried oregano.

1 Wipe a non-stick frying pan with a little olive oil and fry the salmon fillets for 3-4 minutes on each side until just cooked through. Remove from the pan and lay in a single layer in a non-metallic dish.

2 Wipe out the pan again until clean and dry-fry the coriander seeds until they begin to release their aroma. Tip out of the pan and lightly crush.

3 Mix the crushed coriander seeds with all the other ingredients and pour over the salmon. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Serve the salmon fillets at room temperature with a couple of tablespoons of marinade, a bitter leafy salad and plenty of good crusty bread to mop up.

Copyright Nick Nairn 2002

Serves 6 as a starter, 4 as a main dish

150ml (¼ pint) olive oil, plus extra for frying

4 x 175g (6oz) salmon fillets, skinned

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

6 spring onions, shredded

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 fresh red chillies, seeded and sliced

3 fresh bay leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

finely pared rind and juice of one orange

3 tablespoons dry white wine

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

bitter leafy salad and crusty bread, to serve

Salmon Teriyaki Sticks

Nick Nairn

I'm very partial to salmon teriyaki, but always found it a bit tricky to cook. This was because I'd previously cooked it in the frying pan, where it tended to stick as the honey in the marinade burned before the salmon was cooked. A flash of inspiration led me to try leaving the honey out of the marinade, reserving it to brush over the salmon once it was cooked, and - bingo! - trouble-free teriyaki ever since. Remember: soaking the wooden skewers in water before grilling will prevent them from burning and disintegrating.

1 Soak eight bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes

2 Cut the salmon into long, thin strips, 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide and about 5mm (i/4 inch) thick.

3 Mix all the ingredients together, except for the honey, and toss the salmon strips in it. Cover and leave for 10 minutes to marinate. Heat a griddle pan (or grill).

4 Thread the salmon on to the skewers in a zigzag fashion. Brush the kebabs with a little extra oil and griddle (or grill) for 1-2 minutes on each side. Lift them off the griddle as they are done and brush them with warm honey before serving

Copyright Nick Nairn 2002

Preparation time  15 minutes

serves 4

450 g (1 lb) salmon fillet

For the Teriyaki Marinade

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 tablespoon marin (Japanese rice wine for cooking) or dry sherry

2 tablespoons light soy sauce (preferably Kikkoman's)

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

a squeeze of lime juice

2 tablespoons of runny honey, warmed