Canadian Wild Smoked Salmon

We are lucky enough to have, by virtue of the Internet, made friends around the world. So last week marked our second visit from Canadian friends, Lil and Marc. And knowing Furry and I as they do, they presented us with a HUGE box of Canadian Wild Smoked Salmon. I was verily aquiver with anticipation at eating this delux delight!! (We had previously scoffed their offering of Elk and Whiskey Pate.... le swooooooon!)

I had originally planned to go with some sourdough bread, the salmon and a perfectly poached egg, but after Agnes's wonderful offering of home-made bagels, lox and cream cheese, I had a hankering for something different.

So I asked my wise and worldly friends at Chowhound, who came up with the idea of doing ti Japanese-style. Thinly sliced at room temp, on hot steamed rice, with dipping sauces of terryaki, fresh ginger and lime juice. I also added a dipping sauce of light soy and wasabi.

There we were. Furry and I, ready to chow down.....

and then we opened the salmon....

Rather than being the light, orange, SLICE-ABLE fillet we expected, we were faced with a deep, dense meaty slab more reminiscent of a smoked mackerel. There was absolutely no way we could slice it. It was flaky and dense, redolent with the alder smoke.

It was absolutely divine, but NOT suited to the purpose of slicing and not really suited to the light Japanese flavours I had to accompany it.

Think double-smoked trout, or those lovely oily/dry meaty fish you can get in Greek deli's.

It probably went better with the ginger and lime dipping sauce than it did with the darker soy and wasabi. Eventually, I poured the dipping sauce over my rice, ate that separately and then tucked into the salmon as a finger lickin' snack of its own.

I had entertained ideas of blinis with creme fraiche and caviar, but I think this meat is even to heavy for that.

This salmon is not fit for dainty morsels and subtle flavours, this is a salmon to chow down on in the middle of the Canadian winter before you jump on your trusty steed, all Dudley Do-Right and wade thru 20ft snow drifts to save Miss Nell from Darstadly Dan!

Luckily, there is about 1/2 left, so next time, I am going to go with a more Scandinavian idea... or maybe back to the original of sourdough and poached eggs.

Seared Salmon with wasabi mayo and wilted Asian greens

Seared Salmon with wasabi mayo and wilted Asian greens.

Fish. It's good for what ails you. Brain food and all of that.Omega 3's.

BUT, a lot of people are put off by it. here's an easy peasy recipe that any doofus can do and look like a pro.

First, buy the best quality, sashimi grade tuna or salmon fillets you can get you hands on. You can pay up to $10 a fillet, but believe me, it's worth it. Marinate in some light soy and some fried shallots (available in big buckets for next to nothing from an Asian gocer.



In a random bowl, mix some good quality mayo (I use Hellmans', Best Food's or Thomy.. as long as it's a good quality egg yolk mayo) and a goodly squirt of wasabi. Allow this to sit in the fridge for at least an hour, while your fish marinates...



While you're waiting, prep your greens. Today I used some baby bok and some snow pea sprouts and something that looked like broccolini.



Buy more greens than you think you need. They wilt down to almost nothing.

Add a goodly splash of sesame oil to your wok and get it smokin'.

Add the fish skin side down.



Fry off until the colour juuuuuust appears 1/2 way up the sides of the fillet. Flip.

Fry on this side for only a minute or two.

Set aside to rest.

Add a splash more sesame oil and re heat to smokin'

add greens and a good splash of soy or terriaki marinade.



Toss until wilted.... here's an action shot!!!


See... they wilt down to pretty much nothing in a few seconds...



run a packet of udon noodles under hot water in a colander. drain well and add to wok.

toss to combine...



Pile greens on plate.. top with salmon, dollop on wasabi..



enjoy!!!