Home cooking: Coriander-crusted salmon

Salmon, the trendy health fish extolled by nutrition experts and fitness columnists around the world, is approaching its final era. Don’t get us wrong, there’s nothing more satisfying than flaky, smoked protein after a long run, but this is one fish in desperate need of a makeover. Yet before you substitute nature’s prime omega-3 seafood with a sub-par alternative, take your salmon preparation upstream with this exquisite recipe.

Ingredients (serves two):

Fish

2 x 120g sashimi-grade salmon steaks

1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed

1 tbsp sea salt

Cracked black pepper

Tea

100g black mussels (or clams)

50ml dry white wine

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

4 strands saffron

500g tomatoes, blended (collect clear tomato water only)

50ml olive oil

Pinch of salt

Edamame

100g edamame or green peas

Pinch of salt and pepper

Cucumber relish

100g cucumber, peeled, deseeded and grated

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dill weed or fennel greens, chopped

1/2 tsp brown sugar

Preparation:

Fish

1) Season salmon with olive oil, salt and pepper.

2) Put salmon in Ziploc bag; submerge in cold water to press all air out.

3) Heat a separate container of water to 65 degrees Celsius, add the closed bag with salmon and poach for eight minutes.

4) Remove bag and carefully lift out salmon. Drip dry.

5) Dip the skin side in crushed coriander seeds.

6) Pan-sear the skin side for about three to four minutes on medium heat until golden and crispy.

Tea

1) Heat 10 milliliters of olive oil in a pan.

2) Add garlic and mussels.

3) Add wine, then cover and steam for two minutes.

4) Remove mussels from shells and keep warm.

5) Reduce the mussel pan juices and strain into the tomato water (remove the tomato slag from the tomato juice).

6) Taste and season if needed.

Edamame

1) Blanch whole edamame or pea pods in salted water for one minute.

2) Chill in cold water, then de-shell the peas and gently mash.

3) Season with salt pepper, then heat up with olive oil.

Cucumber relish

1) Season the shredded cucumber with salt and marinate for 10 minutes.

2) Squeeze out the juices.

3) Toss with lemon juice and brown sugar, then add dill.

// This recipe is courtesy of Executive Chef Marcel Kofler of Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou, 389 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District 天河区天河路389号广州文华东方酒店 (3808 8888)