You have dinner planned; the table is set, your candles are ready to be lit. You have a lovely surprise for your beautiful and yet, heavily pregnant partner, who has returned home from work wearied by the toil of industry and exhausted by the travail of carrying your still forming man-child in her womb. You tell her to relax and put her feet up and you slip in a DVD of her favourite girly television show.
You turn and enter the kitchen where you have carefully laid out your kitchen knives, cutting board and utensils, all while listening to Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda gossiping over Samantha’s newest conquest.
You reach for the refrigerator door when all of a sudden you hear from the other room, “Salmon!”
You rush in, unsure if you misheard an expletive and ask, “Is everything ok?”
“Yes, but all of a sudden I feel like salmon… is that weird?”
“Yes…” you reply hesitantly, thinking about the ingredients you’ve already thawed, when you continue with, “I can run down to the market and get some?”
A sad look comes over your beloved and she replies, “No, that’s ok. The baby just want’s…”
“Salmon?”
“Kinda…”she replies with eyes of a doe and the stare of a newly returned soldier.
You reply that you’ll be back shortly with her desired repast. You grab your canvas and jute bags, grab your keys when from behind you, you hear,
“…and broccoli! Ooh, and corn. Make it a pasta dish!”
On the way out the door you realise that this collation will be a brilliant concoction. Why waste an opportunity, write it down and give others the chance to create The Culinary Barbarian’s, Flaked Salmon Pasta recipe.
Ingredients:
400g skinless salmon fillet
1 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of one lemon, grated
1 ½ cups pouring cream
3 shallots, diced using the white and green part
½ cup corn kernels
Olive oil for frying
1 cup chopped broccoli
Flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp capers
6 artichoke hearts
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 packet fusilli pasta
Parmesan cheese
Salt to season the salmon and to taste.
Diced chilli (optional)
Method:
- Pat the salmon dry with paper towel, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Over a medium heat fry for 3 minutes each side and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Flake the salmon with a fork, ensuring that you reserve any salmon juices. The salmon will still be quite rare in the middle, which is fine as the heat of the sauce will cook the rest of the fish. Set aside.
- Over hot water or microwave steamer, steam the corn kernels and broccoli until tender and the broccoli breaks apart with a fork. Set aside
- Start the pasta, cook until tender and drain
- In the same pan as the salmon was cooked, over medium heat, add a good lug of oil, the garlic, shallots and a handful of chopped parsley and sauté until fragrant. Add the lemon juice, and deglaze the pan and add the wine and zest. Increase the heat and reduce by 2/3rd. Add the broccoli and corn and cream and stir through until the mixture begins to thicken slightly.
- Add the salmon and a handful of parmesan, toss and through the pasta.
- To serve, divide onto plates with extra parmesan, and garnish with diced chilli, parsley and lemon zest.
