Ingredients
- 4 x 150g fresh salmon fillets
- 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 2 red shallots, peeled
- 1 small red chilli
- 150g mushrooms (oyster, shiitake or button)
- 2 lemongrass stalks, peeled
- 100g baby spinach leaves
- 500mL chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Sea salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Method
Cut the salmon into wide fingers, coat it with the fish sauce and set aside. Finely slice the shallots, chilli and mushrooms and the white part of the lemongrass. Wash the spinach and drain.
Heat the stock in a saucepan with the shallots, chilli, mushrooms, lemongrass
and sugar, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick frypan and sear the salmon, skin-side
down for most of its cooking time, turning once to seal the other side, leaving
the inside pink. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the spinach to the hot broth, turning it with tongs as it wilts and
removing it before fully cooked. Arrange spinach on four warmed shallow soup
bowls and top with the salmon.
Add the fish sauce and lime juice to the broth and spoon a ladleful of broth
around each salmon portion. Serve hot, with steamed rice on the side.
To wilt spinach leaves in broth - for the salmon dish or any other time - wash
the leaves well, shake them dry and stack them on top of each other in four
separate stacks. Using tongs, dip each stack in the simmering broth for 20
seconds, then place on serving plates.
This recipe is featured in the book,Autumn which is available now in all good bookstores RRP $34.95. To order direct call 1300 656 059 or visit www.smh.com.au/store
