Salmon with Fresh Curry Leaves

Cooking with fresh curry leaves lends a plethora of rich yet subtle flavor.  My friend has a bush on her deck and gave me a large bunch to experiment with. I decided to make a curried salmon dish with some of it and wasn't disappointed.  My curry dishes are usually made with a variety of spices including turmeric, cumin, coriander and cardamon. Using the fresh leaves is a new direction, and it's wonderful! The leaves look and feel sturdy but once touched by the heat, they rapidly turn soft and fragrant. These will definitely to be a staple in my kitchen going forward. They keep in the fridge for about three weeks too. I wrapped mine in waxed paper and inserted them into a plastic bag.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:









One and a half pounds of wild Atlantic salmon, three Roma and several cherry tomatoes, one medium onion, three-inch piece of ginger (peeled), 3 large cloves of garlic, a bunch of fresh curry leaves, green beans, turmeric, smoked paprika, sea salt and grapeseed oil.



STEP ONE:



Chop the onion, garlic and ginger into a dice.

STEP TWO:



Use a mortar and pestle to grind ginger and garlic.

STEP THREE:



Saute onions in a T. of grapes oil until soft. Add the ginger and garlic and allow to cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

STEP FOUR:

Add the tomatoes and curry leaves to the pan along with a tsp. of turmeric, a tsp. of smoked paprika and a 1/4-1/2 tsp. of salt and allow to cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

STEP FIVE:



Add the salmon to the pan skin side down and allow to cook on medium heat for 6 minutes. Turn the fish and cook for another 6 minutes or until it's done. Try not to overcook or it will be dry. If the vegetables are becoming overcooked, remove from pan and keep warm. While the fish is cooking, saute the green beans in a little olive oil with salt and pepper. Can squeeze some lemon juice on them when done.

STEP SIX:



Plate the fish by setting on top of sautéed green beans. Spoon the vegetable mixture on top.  Enjoy!

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Burmese-Inspired Ginger Salad

I'm claiming this recipe as Burmese inspired since my Burmese friends told me how to make it. I didn't write anything down, and I'm sure it's not throughly authentic. They saw the photo of the finished product though, and told me it looked really good. The next time I'll bring some over to get their feedback. One mistake I made was to put the crunchy beans into the salad instead of sprinkling on top. Lesson learned. This salad is easy and delicious and pairs well with curries. It can really be served with just about anything savory.  It should be made with young ginger that is supposedly lighter in color, milder and softer than the common ginger we find in the grocery store. It can be found in Asian markets in the spring. In fact, it is called spring ginger.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



4.5 inch piece of ginger, 3 cloves of garlic, lemon, 3 small tomatoes, red onion (not pictured), half head of Napa cabbage, sea salt, 2 T. fish sauce, pinch of sugar, 2 T. oil (olive or canola), dried cooked beans. The beans were given to me by my Burmese friends. You can use toasted sesame seeds instead. Then it will truly be Burmese-inspired and not an authentic dish. Thin, dried coconut slices can also be sprinkled on top. Try to find the bean mixture in an Asian market (I haven't yet looked). This dish is made in two stages. The ginger needs to marinate in lemon juice overnight.

STEP ONE:

Prep: Cut ginger into very thin slices, squeeze about 2 T. lemon juice and 1/4 tsp. salt onto the ginger and allow to sit overnight in the fridge. The ginger will take on a nice pink color.





STEP TWO:



Cut garlic cloves into thin slices. Chop tomatoes. Cut half a small red onion into thin slices. Cut cabbage into chunks. Place cabbage into a food processor and pulse until the cabbage has been cut into a cold slaw consistency.

STEP THREE:





Put cabbage into a large bowl, squeeze the liquid out of the ginger and place in bowl. Add garlic, chopped tomatoes, sliced onion, 1 T. of fish sauce and a pinch of sugar. Stir in a T. or two of oil. Mix and add more salt to taste. Place in serving bowls and sprinkle the dried bean mixture on top (or toasted sesame seeds).

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!