Salute the Salmon

Being Valentines I figure it’s only appropriate to choose a food with the theme of Love. Unfortunately its not a traditional food you would associate with this day of romantics, but for me it is one very dear to my heart. Ok first things first. Rich, succulent Salmon is outright one of my all time favourite foods. In fact I can say with confidence that it wins as the favourite. Yum-mo. There is something about the beautiful coral coloured flesh that mesmorizes my soul and captures my tastebuds. 

Salmon and Avocado with Miso. c/o Yuki. Dunedin

Unlike most indulgent foods of which I choose to consume, this slimy creature is one my body and health are truly thankful for! It’s full to the brim of omega-3 fatty acids which are known as essential to growth and to improve health. ‘Essential’ being the key-word, as they can’t be made by the body and therefore must be obtained in our diet. To be specific it is the EPA and DHA (both long chained fatty acids) that have now been associated with numerous health benefits, and more are being discovered as technology and the world of medicine develops.

Their most well-known benefits include: improving heart health, reducing inflammation and improving mood. With plenty more where that came from as you can see the benefits of consuming salmon are rather plentiful.

This crispy end piece causes fights in our household. I usually win.

At risk of overkill, I could probably consume Salmon for breakfast, lunch and tea, 7 days a week.  But just as a marriage should be, this is a long-lasting love that I would like to retain for many years to come, or til death do us part. Ok enough of the lovey, dovey stuff, now lets eat. I bet your all wondering… 'How do you eat yours?’. Many different ways actually. Hot smoked, pan-fried, grilled, baked, raw (as sashimi), cold-smoked slices, in sushi, steamed and even poached in a flavour-some broth.

As of late my Salmon addiction has included: The Classic Salmon and Cream cheese Bagel finished with capers and red onion on Christmas Day. If in doubt, salmon + cream cheese = a special companionship. Some will cringe when I say this, but as encouraged by my degree I recommend light cream cheese, it does the job just as well! 

Part of the breakfast spread at Christmas

In my eyes, my God-father is king of the salmon-smoking business. Boy does he know a thing or too about hot-smoking salmon. At risk of giving away his secret- Brown sugar, Olive Oil and Sea salt generously rubbed over a large fillet of fresh New Zealand Salmon. Hot smoked for around 20 mins. Literally is food of the Gods. We served this beaut up at a party recently and it went down an absolute treat!

Hot Smoked Salmon: from the hands of a God.

However for some of us, the luxury of salmon exceeds the capabilities of our bank accounts. But let me tell you, where there is a will, there is always a way! I have two budget salmon secrets to share.

Tip #1: Certain New Worlds (aka Dunedin central) stock what they like to call ‘Salmon Mince’ which are literally salmon off-cuts, they are dirt-cheap and make for the perfect sandwich and sushi filling, throw it in a pasta dish, or turn your omelette into something a little fancy!

Tip #2: Beware-this one is not for the faint-hearted. Salmon Frames. Literally the bone/carcass of the salmon that is left when all the beautiful fillets have been removed. Pak 'n’ Save charged me around $2.50 for this beauty and dam it is good. A touch of honey-soy marinade and five minutes under the grill. Scrape off the luscious shards of salmon with a spoon and you have yourself a beautiful feast. (Ignore the tail, and excessive bone collection)

Dare to indulge.

Yours truly,

Love Salmon.