According to the NHS Eat Well Live Well guidelines, a healthy balanced diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish. Oily fish is particularly beneficial for our health because it contains omega 3 which are essential fatty acids that are good for the heart and brain. But don’t be mistaken with tinned tuna, this doesn’t count because the canning process would have removed the essential fatty acids. If you like tinned fish, can I suggest tinned sardines served on warm rosemary foccacia topped with lightly pickled red onions or stirred into some cooked orecchiette and broccoli with a crunchy topping, dressed with plenty of extra virgin olive oil, chilli flakes, and a grating of lemon zest?
There are a few tasty and economical oily fish on our shores, such as mackerel, salmon, trout, these are commonly found at the fishmongers. I have come up with this Korean flavour marinade using Gochujang for grilled fish and it is particularly good with salmon. Read on for the recipe.
Gochujang is a Korean chilli paste, made from fermented soybeans but with the addition of glutinous rice flour, salt and lots of dried powdered red chilli. This gives a sticky and spicy kick. This paste is aged in the sun for months or even years, resulting in a pungent but deeply savoury and umami paste that for centuries Koreans love to cook with. Don’t mistaken this paste with Chinese chilli paste, this versatile one is worth getting your hands on and a tub keeps very well in the fridge. I love using it in all sorts of ways, you can make the marinade below, or try mixing it with mayonnaise for a spicy dip for sweet potato wedges or topping burgers.
2 tablespoons Gochujang
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cooking sake
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons grated garlic
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 stalks spring onions
20g toasted sesame seeds (optional, but it adds nuttiness and texture to the finished dish)
This marinade is enough for 500g skinless and boneless salmon, cut into 4 portions. This meal serves 2 along with rice and vegetables, with leftovers enough for lunch the next day.
– Finely chop the spring onions, toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan, set them aside separately
– Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour it over the salmon, turn the fillets in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
– Take the salmon out of the fridge and preheat the grill to the highest setting. Let the fillets come to room temperature while the grill is preheating, this will help them cook through evenly. Line the baking tray with foil.
– Take out the salmon and let the excess marinade drip off, lay the fillets on the tray. Reserve the marinade to baste the fillets. Now place the tray on the lowest rack under the preheated grill. Reduce the heat to medium. Note: higher rack does not mean quicker cooking but will guarantee burning!
– Grill for about 7 minutes on one side, carefully turn over the fillets, then baste this side once and back under the grill. As it cooks, the flesh will char and crisp up but do watch it as the marinade has honey in it and can burn. Grill on this side for 7 minutes, you might need to reduce the heat to low now. Check if the salmon is cooked by putting the tip of the knife, or metal skewer through the thickest part of the flesh (from the side). If the knife tip or skewer is hot (not lukewarm = still raw, or blistering hot = overcooked), the fish is done*.
– Lift the fish to a serving plate, top with the chopped spring onions and toasted sesame seeds, if using. I make this dish regularly, and this week I served them with a red camargue and wild rice salad tossed with some sauteed sweet and crunchy Helda beans then topped with toasted pecans and fresh orange.
Served hot or cold, this grilled salmon is delicious. This marinade is versatile too, try it with chicken, I guarantee this will be a crowd pleaser.
*Overcooked fish has a distinctive opaque white “goo” seeping out. This means the muscle fibres in the fish have contracted so much during cooking that causes the protein to push out of the fibres. Then the high heat sets the protein and that’s what you see solidified on the outside, at this point the fish would be dry.
Recent Comments