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    Wednesday, February 20, 2008

    Happy Birthday Dan-Here’s a Salmon Feast for You


    It’s our son Daniel’s birthday…that very first birthday seems like only yesterday…where has that time gone…Anyway the staff have been waiting for another lunch so what better time.

    We usually bake a cake for anyone’s special day but I pulled out all stops and made this divine Asian Salmon with A Crunchy Noodle Salad.

    Mrs. Ina Garten The Barefoot Contessa has come up trumps yet again

    A wonderful filet of marinated salmon baked in a very hot oven

    Served with a colourful crunchy vegetable noodle saladThe aroma was intoxicating

    You will need the following


    The Salad
    1 red pepper sliced in batons
    Sugar snap peas 500 gms
    4 spring onions sliced vertically and rough chop
    60 gms spaghettini per person


    Blanch the sugar snap peas and shock them in ice cold water

    Make the dressing
    1 cup rice bran oil
    ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
    1/3 cup soy sauce
    2 tablespoons Sesame oil
    1 tablespoons honey
    2 cloves chopped garlic
    1 teaspoon grated ginger
    ½ cup peanut butter
    2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds


    1 extra tablespoons toasted sesame seeds for garnish
    Toss the vege with about 1/3 of the dressing

    Meanwhile cook the noodles, drain.

    In a salad bowl add another 1/3 of the dressing
    Add the warm noodles then the rest of the dressing and toss.

    Add vege and toss again
    Dressing in stages like this is a better distribution of the sauce.

    Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
    And sprinkle the extra sesame seeds and toss just before serving.

    Asian Salmon
    Heat oven 260C
    Line roasting dish with foil (makes for easier washing up)
    1 side salmon
    1 cup Soy sauce
    ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
    ¼ cup lemon juice
    2 tablespoons oyster sauce
    1 tablespoons Fish sauce
    1 tablespoons sesame oil
    1 ½ teaspoon chili paste
    2 chopped spring onions
    2 tablespoons chopped Garlic
    2 tablespoons chopped ginger
    Stir
    Add the salmon to the roasting dish
    Pour ½ of the sauce over the salmon
    Cover with 1 ½ cups Panko crumbs

    And then pour over the remainder of the sauce
    Make sure all the breadcrumbs are well covered

    Marinate 15 minutes

    Into oven for 15 minutes

    Cover with foil and let it rest about 10 minutes
    Sprinkle with chopped parsley

    Serve with The Crunchy Noodle Salad

    A nice little bottle or 2 of a nice Malborough Methode Champagnoise

    Katie made Birthday Cup Cakes

    350gm butter
    450gm dark chocolate, chopped
    2 ½ cups castor sugar
    1 ½ cups almond meal
    2 cups cocoa
    10 eggs
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract


    Preheat over to 140C.
    Line muffin trays with cupcake cases
    By the way she makes half the recipe and it makes 24 cupcakes

    Combine butter, chocolate and castor sugar in a heavy based saucepan over low heat.
    Mix continuously with a flat bottomed spoon until melted and smooth.
    Sift the almond meal and cocoa into a bowl.
    Add the chocolate mixture and beat for 1 min on low speed.
    The mixture should be thoroughly combined.
    Add eggs two at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is well combines; do not over beat, or too much air will be incorporated and they will crack during baking.
    Add the vanilla and beat until combined

    Spoon mixture into cases bake for 30 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean.
    Remove from trays and cool on a wire rack for 40 minutes before frosting.

    All So Simple…So Divine.
    I’m normally not a huge fan of fish from the Supermarket but the Fish department at my local Foodtown, Quay Street Auckland is lucky enough to have as it’s manager Kim.
    She is dedicated and really seems to care about her department.
    She supplied me with the excellent salmon for the lunch… not only did she get the freshest filets for me she also pin-boned them.

    Thank you Kim

    PS
    Of course there were leftover so what should a good leftover Queen do.

    Make Fishcakes

    Mashed potato with milk and butter
    Flaked leftover salmon
    ½ cup frozen peas
    Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

    Chill make into patty shapes

    Roll in Panko Breadcrumbs

    Cook over med heat in Olive oil
    Just a slice of lemon
    Excellent


    1 comment:

    FH said...

    Happy B'day to him! He is grown up!:D
    Both my kids are turning 13 and 16 in two weeks, two teenagers at home at the same time! AHH!
    I love Salmon, one fish I am willing to order and enjoy it too in the restaurants!:)