Mastering the art of cooking salmon

Bought a salmon to cook something yummy in the weekend and wondering how to go about it? Here are a few recipes to help you cook this fish instantly. But before you go ahead and prepare it you need to thaw the salmon, if it has been kept in the fridge overnight. You could thaw it under warm water or defrost it in the microwave. But make sure that you speed up the process or else, the salmon would lose its texture and flavor.

Coconut poached salmon
Ingredients required are:

Coconut cream – 400 milliliters
Finely grated lemongrass stem – 1, inner core only
Sliced ginger – 5 centimeter piece
Juice and finely grated zest of 2 limes
Fish sauce – 1 spoon
Caster sugar – 1 spoon
Thinly sliced spring onions – 2
Salmon fillets, skinless – 700 grams
Toasted sesame seeds – 2 spoons
Asia greens, steamed – to serve

Preparation: First you need to preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Over medium heat, in a saucepan, place lemongrass, coconut cream, lime juice, lime zest, ginger, caster sugar, spring onion and fish sauce and bring it to a simmer. In a baking dish, place the fish and pour the hot coconut mixture. Using a foil, cover it and bake for 12 minutes till the centre of the fish is still rare and overall it is just cooked. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top and serve the dish along with steamed greens.

Creamy salmon with fettuccine
Ingredients required are:

Salmon fillets – 400 grams
Dried fettuccine – 375 grams
Broad beans, frozen – 2 c
Olive oil – 1 spoon
Finely chopped, small brown onion –1
Crushed garlic clove – 1
Dry white wine – ¼ c
Finely grated lemon rind – 1 tsp
Cream – 300 milliliter
Chopped fresh chives – ¼ c

Preparation: Fill a medium-sized, deep-frying pan two-thirds full of cold water. Into it, add the salmon. Over medium heat, bring it to a boil. Lower the heat. Simmer for 5 minutes after covering it. Then take it off from the heat. Let it stand for 5 minutes or till the fish is cooked through. Keep it in a plate and roughly flake the fish using a fork.

Meanwhile cook the pasta in boiling salted water by following the directions on the packet. Drain it and place it in the pan. In a heatproof bowl, place the broad beans. Pour boiling water over them and let them stand for 2 minutes. Drain them. Peel and discard the broad beans’ skin.

In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook it for 5 minutes. Add the lemon rind and wine. Bring it to a boil. Add the broad beans and the cream. Again bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and cook it for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally or till the sauce thickens. Season it with pepper and salt. Into the pasta, add the salmon, the chives and the sauce. Over low heat, gently toss to combine. Serve immediately.