Salmon with wilted sesame greens

Serves: 6
Course: Dinner
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins
Ingredients
  • 6 darnes or fillets of salmon
  • 125ml soy sauce
  • 100ml rice wine vinegar
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 1tbs toasted sesame oil
  • 1tbs grated fresh ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1tsp Chinese five spice
  • 2tbs oil for frying
  • 4 leeks
  • 1tbs butter
  • 250g spinach
  • 100g rocket
  • 1tbs light olive or rapeseed oil
  • 1tbs toasted sesame seeds

1 Place the salmon in a shallow wide dish. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, lime zest, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and five spice together and pour over the salmon. Ensure it is coated evenly in the marinade. Cover with a lid and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Cut the leeks into matchsticks. Wash the spinach and rocket.

3 Place the leeks into a pan over a medium-high heat with two tablespoons of water and the butter. Stir to ensure it is coated evenly. Allow to simmer and steam for five minutes until softened and most of the water has evaporated. Transfer the leeks to a serving dish and cover.

4 Place the oil, spinach, rocket and two tablespoons of water into the pan and cover with a lid on a low heat while you cook the salmon.

5 Place a frying pan on a high heat and pour in two tablespoons of oil. Place the salmon in the pan, skin side down, and cook for six minutes. Turn the fish over and cook for a further four minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

6 The leftover marinade can also be transferred to a saucepan and boiled on a high heat, then simmered for five minutes to reduce and become syrupy.

7 Once the greens are wilted sufficiently place them in a serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

8 Serve the salmon on a bed of leeks with the sauce and greens on the side.

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a food writer