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