Fresh Salmon
Palm Sugar Salmon With Green Mango Salad
by Christine Manfield
Universal Restaurant
Ingredients
500 grams salmon fillet, skin removed
80 grams rice flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
3 small green chillies, finely sliced
2 tablespoons salted dried radish, rinsed in cold water (available from Asian grocery store)
200 grams palm sugar, shaved
80 ml fish sauce
100 grams tomato puree
½ green mango, peeled and finely shredded
2 red shallots, finely sliced
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
40 grams bean sprouts, picked
½ green star fruit (carambola), finely sliced
2 large betel leaves, finely shredded
3 tablespoons Asian or Thai basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons shredded long leaf (saw tooth) coriander
4 whole betel leaves, for serving
Method
Cut the fish into 2cm chunks and dust with rice flour, salt and half the ground pepper. Heat oil in wok to 180°C and deep fry fish chunks in small batches for 3 minutes until golden. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and fry the garlic and chilli until fragrant, then add the dried radish strips and fry another minute. Remove from heat and add to the cooked fish.
Make a caramel with the palm sugar and fish sauce in a fry pan, cooking until it becomes a rich caramel colour – add a little water if necessary – then add the tomato puree and stir to combine. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes, season with remaining pepper then add the fish. Toss to coat evenly and simmer gently for a few minutes to heat through, then remove from heat.
Mix the remaining salad ingredients, except 4 whole betel leaves until combined. Lay betel leaves on plate and spoon a little caramel fish and salad onto centre of each and serve immediately.
"recipes from Wild Water and Woodsmoke, available for purchase from The Salmon Shop"
