GOCHUJANG, HONEY & GARLIC SALMON WITH TAHINI NOODLES

Intricate cooking is off the table at the moment with fashion week on but I am still trying to get some weekend kitchen time in and I simply adore this quick to rustle up, fusion-y salmon and noodle dish that is packed full of flavour, quickly rustled up and packed full of good-for-you ingredients.  

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chilli paste) 
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 salmon filets
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Purple sprouting brocolli
• Salt


NOODLES

• 1 package soba noodles
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• Red pepper flakes
• 4 salad onions, sliced
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Pickled ginger for serving

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 200c. 
• In a square baking dish, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, Gochujang, ginger, and garlic. 
• Add the salmon and let sit. 
• On a baking tray, toss together the broccoli, olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. 
• Bake for 20 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, make the noodles. 
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, scoop out 1/4 cup hot water, reserve. 
• Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain. 
• In a glass jar or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, tahini, sesame oil, ginger, chili, and a 1/4 cup hot water until combined. 
• Toss the noodles with the sauce.
• 5Put the salmon in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the salmon reaches desired doneness. Remove the broccoli, spoon the sauce over the salmon. 
• Switch the oven to broil. Broil the salmon until crisping on top and the sauce is thickening. 
• Divide the noodles between bowls. 
• Top with salmon, broccoli, green onions, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds. 
• Spoon any remaining sauce over the salmon.
• ENJOY!

CRAB PAPPARDELLE ARRABBIATA WITH SAMPHIRE

I am on the never ending quest for the perfect crab pasta and this spicy crab arrabbiata with homemade chilli and garlic oil and samphire may just be my new favourite!

There is a little prep involved but the end result is undoubtedly a restaurant worthy pasta dish!

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 500g pappardelle

CONFIT CHILLI OIL

• 5 long red chillies
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves garlic
• 250ml olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

ARRABBIATA SAUCE

• 4 tbsp confit chilli oil, (see recipe above)
• ½ a clove garlic
, finely sliced
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
• 1 tbsp confit chilli and garlic, (see recipe above)
• 400g cherry tomatoes, halved, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp butter
• 100g white crabmeat
• 100g samphire
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ a small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

METHOD

• Prick the chillies with a knife and put in a small pan with the bay leaves and garlic. 
• Cover with olive oil and cook gently over a low heat for 45 minutes or until they’re softened. 
• Cool. 
• Pick out the chillies and remove the skins and stalks, and scrape out the seeds. 
• Chop then put in a jar with the garlic, red wine vinegar and the infused oil.
• Heat 4 tbsp of the confit oil in a frying pan and cook the fresh garlic, dried chilli flakes and fennel seeds for 3 minutes, then add the confit chilli and garlic bits, and cook for another 2 minutes. 
• Add the tomatoes and simmer gently for 1 hour. 
• Blend the sauce with a stick blender until smooth (keep the rest of the chilli oil in the fridge to use later).
• When you’re ready to serve, cook the pasta in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water following pack instructions. 
• Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
• Add the butter, crabmeat, samphire and lemon juice to the sauce with some seasoning, then add the pasta and toss really well, adding a little of the cooking water to loosen if needed. 
• Stir through the parsley, divide between two plates and scatter over a few more halved tomatoes, to serve.

GRILLED SESAME MACKEREL WITH ORANGE & BEETROOT SALAD

My grilled mackerel obsession continues and this is the perfect light yet super fragrant supper with the most wonderfully unexpected flavour combinations to eat while this Indian summer lasts.

A new favourite for when it's too hot to eat anything too heavy!!

SERVES 2 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oranges
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• About 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 x 250g pack cooked natural beetroot, diced
• 1 x 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 x 20g pack dill, finely chopped
• 2 x fresh mackerel fillets
• 50g sesame seeds
• 1 x 80g pack watercress

METHOD

• First cut the skin and pith off the oranges and cut out the segments with a small, sharp knife, over a bowl to catch any juice. 
• Set the segments aside and squeeze the juice from the pithy flesh remaining. 
• Whisk the balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of mustard into the juice, then stir in the beetroot, butter beans and most of the dill.
• Score the mackerel skin diagonally in a couple of places, then brush the skin with the remaining 2 teaspoons mustard and some seasoning. 
• Spread the sesame seeds on a plate, and press the mackerel, mustardy- skin-side down, in the seeds to coat lightly. 
• Set aside on a plate
• Heat a couple of teaspoons of oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. 
• Place the mackerel fillets skin-side down and cook for 2 minutes until the sesame seeds are golden, then turn and cook for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through. 
• Transfer to a plate, wipe out the pan with kitchen paper, refresh the oil and cook the remaining fillets in the same way.
• To serve, place a mackerel fillet skin-up on 2 plates. 
• Place a pile of watercress to the side, mix in the orange segments and any juice, then spoon the dressed beetroot and beans over the salad, and scatter over a little more dill.
• ENJOY!

CURRIED TOMATO, MAYO & CAPER SANDWICH

Hear me out on this one because the idea of a sandwich solely based around the humble tomato, combined with mayo, may sound weird but is actually a thing in the Southern states of America and here the twist of adding capers and using sandwich bread fried in curry powder in oil elevates the final dish into something quite spectacular and sophisticated I really didn't expect!

The key here is to invest in the best of the late summer tomatoes - watery supermarket toms won't do the job here, you won't regret it - really this may just be my new favourite sandwich!

SERVES 1

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp. curry powder
• 2 thick slices white sourdough bread
• 2 Tbsp. goodmayonnaise
• 2–3 thick heirloom or beefsteak tomato slices
• Salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1 (heaping) tsp. drained capers

METHOD

• Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium. 
• Add curry powder and whisk to evenly disperse in oil. 
• Fry bread until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. 
• Transfer to a plate.
• Spread 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise over 1 side of fried bread slices. 
• Top a slice with tomato slices, season with salt and pepper, and scatter capers over. 
• Close sandwich; cut in half AND ENJOY!