Hairy Bikers Salmon Recipes

HAIRY DIETERS SALMON WITH CHILLI GINGER SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the ginger ball on a board and slice it thinly. Pile up the slices from the ball and cut through them them to make thin matchstick strips. Put these into a bowl that's large enough to hold the salmon and add 1 tbsp of the syrup from the jar.
• Peel the garlic cloves and slice them thinly, then add them to the bowl with the ginger. Stir in the soy sauce, orange zest, orange juice and red chilli.
• Put the salmon in the bowl with the marinade. Season with lots of fresh ground black pepper and turn a couple of times, ending with the fish skin side up. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 220c (200c fan), Gas 7. Line a small baking tay with baking parchment. Take the salmon fillets out of the marinade, scraping off any bits and pieces, and place them on the tray, skin side down. Season with more ground black pepper. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.
• Meanwhile prepare the sauce. Pour the marinade into a tiny non stick pan and bring to the boil. Cook for 6 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the garlic is softened. You need enough of the marinade to pour over the salmon but not swamp it completely.
• Put the salmon fillets on warm plates, carefully lifting off the skin as you go. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and serve with a small portion of rice or new potatoes and some steamed or stir fried vegetables.

GRAVADLAX

Steps:

• Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and run your hands over the flesh to see if there are any stray small bones - if there are, use a pair of tweezers to pull them out. Set the salmon fillets aside.
• Tip the salt, sugar, peppercorns, lemon zest, juniper and dill into a food processor and blitz until you have a bright green, wet salt mixture or 'cure'. Unravel some cling film but keep it attached to the roll. Lay the first fillet of salmon skin-side down and then pack the cure over the flesh. Drizzle with gin, if using and top with the 2nd fillet, flesh-side down. Roll the sandwiched fillets tightly in cling film to create a package.
• Place the fish in a shallow baking dish or shallow-sided tray and lay another tray on top. Weigh the tray down with a couple of tins or bottles and place in the fridge for at least 48 hrs or up to 4 days, turning the fish over every 12 hours or so. The longer you leave it, the more cured it will become.
• To make the sauce, tip all the sauce ingredients into a blender. Blitz until you have a thickened dressing.
• To serve, unwrap the fish and brush off the marinade with kitchen paper. Rinse it if you like. You can slice the fish classically into long thin slices, leaving the skin behind, or remove the skin it and slice it straight down. Serve the sliced fish on a large platter or individual plates with pumpernickel bread, dill and mustard sauce.