Les Poissons et Les Fruits de Mer

FISH & SHELLFISH

If you were to wander the coastal cities of France, you would stumble upon brasseries with some spectacular seafood. At the entrance you would probably see display tables of freshly caught fish and shellfish laid out on ice, and inside you might find a tank with live lobsters and crabs, ready to be chosen and cooked à la minute. When seafood is this fresh you don’t need to do much with it – simply grillng or roasting and a little herb butter, such as Dover Sole with Lemon & Parsley Butter, is all it needs. When eating at home with family or friends, we often enjoy delicious all-in-one pots of seafood such as a Bouillabaisse or Moules Marinières with Lemongrass & Chilli – there’s nothing quite like it.

Steak de saumon poêlé avec mayonnaise au citron vert et coriandre

PAN-ROASTED SALMON STEAKS WITH LIME & CORIANDER MAYONNAISE

Unlike most freshwater fish, salmon have the ability to move freely between rivers and oceans because their bodies can adjust to changes in salt content. When it’s time to lay their eggs and let the cycle begin again, and they always know when it is, salmon make the treacherous journey home, swimming upstream, navigating their way over rocks and through waterfalls, dodging predators, travelling hundreds of miles to return to the exact place they were born. When I teach trainees, I often talk about how important it is to treat your ingredients with respect. In the salmon’s case, I think they’ve earned it!

Preparation time 15 minutes, plus making the potatoes

Cooking time 10 minutes

4 skinless salmon steaks, about 150g/5½oz each

2 tbsp olive oil

15g/½oz butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 recipe quantity Warm Crushed Potatoes with Coriander & Lime (see page 163), to serve

LIME & CORIANDER MAYONNAISE

100g/3½oz/generous cup mayonnaise

1 small handful of coriander, leaves only, chopped

zest of 1 lime, plus extra for sprinkling

juice of ½ lime

To make the lime and coriander mayonnaise, put the mayonnaise, coriander and lime zest and juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. This gives the mayonnaise a deliciously light zing and makes the dish really colourful.

For the pan-roasted salmon, season the salmon steaks with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter is starting to get frothy, add the salmon steaks and cook for 4–5 minutes on each side until light golden.

Put the salmon steaks on four plates, top with the mayonnaise and sprinkle with extra lime zest. Serve immediately with warm crushed potatoes.

CHEF’S TIP: Instead of pan-roasting the salmon, you could poach it. To do this, place a saucepan of salted water over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil, then throw in a few stalks of coriander and a peeled garlic clove, crushed with the flat edge of a knife or your hand. Reduce the heat to low, add the salmon and poach for 5 minutes until it flakes off the fork and is still slightly pink in the middle. This is a delicious and very healthy alternative to pan-roasting.