5. Char-grilled salmon salad

Char-grilled salmon salad

Salmon sp11 large

+ Wine

Depending on your mood, go for either a young Riesling or a fresh Rosé with the salmon. Try either the Ferngrove Riesling 2011 with alluring floral and citrus flavours or the Geoff hardy K1 Rosé 2007 with its fresh flavours of red fruits, crisp acidity and long flavour length. Both wines are clean and crisp, enhancing similar qualities in this dish.

Preparation and cooking:
1 hour (includes marinating time)
Note: Pickling vegetables requires 3 days
Serves 4 as part of a shared dinner

200g salmon fillet, skin on, pin boned
300g pickled vegetables
1 cup watercress
10 perilla leaves, sliced
10 mint leaves, sliced
10 Vietnamese mint leaves, sliced
1 tsp fried garlic
1 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
1 tbsp fried red Asian shallots
1 bird’s eye chilli, sliced
3 tbsp nuoc mam cham dipping
fish sauce

Salmon marinade
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp caster sugar
1.5 tbsp fish sauce

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the salmon and marinate for 30 minutes.

2. To make the salad, char-grill the salmon over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until medium rare, making sure it is well coloured on the outside. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then flake the flesh into a bowl.

3. Add remaining salad ingredients except the peanuts, shallots and chilli. Mix together and turn out onto a serving platter. Garnish with peanuts, shallots and chilli and serve.

Notes: Fried shallots and fried garlic can be bought in Asian supermarkets or you can do your own. Peel and finely slice 6 garlic cloves and 4 eschallots. Deep fry in hot oil for 1-2 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towel.

Nuoc cham dipping fish sauce
3 tsp fish sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced
2 tbsp lime juice

1. Combine the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and 125ml of water in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir well and cook until just before boiling point is reached. Remove from heat and cool.

2. To serve, add the garlic and chilli, then stir in the lime juice. Store tightly sealed in a jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Pickled vegetables
Preparation and cooking: 20 minutes
Pickling time: 3 days
Serves 4 as part of a shared dinner

625ml rice vinegar
440g sugar
1 tbsp salt
2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers
1 carrot
1 small daikon radish
1 celery stalk
½ lemon, cut into thin wedges

1. In a saucepan, combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt, stir well and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. Cut cucumbers in half lengthways and scrape out seeds. Cut cucumber, carrot, daikon and celery into 5cm x 5mm batons.

3. Combine lemon wedges with the vegetables and place in a 1 litre plastic or glass container. Pour cooled pickling liquid over the vegetables to submerge them. Cover with a lid, place in the fridge and allow to pickle for 3 days before use.

Note: Store any leftover pickled vegetables in the fridge for up to 1 week.