Miso Salmon

Miso is a salty paste made from fermented rice or soya beans and is traditional in Japanese cooking. It gives rich and sumptuous flavour to this spicy broth. Poaching is a lovely, delicate way of cooking salmon. Keep the skin on to stop it from breaking up as the stock gently simmers.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp light miso paste

750ml fish stock

2 kaffir lime leaves

1–2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped, to taste

3cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely sliced

500g side of salmon, skin on, scaled and pin-boned (see here, step 6)

1 pak choi

150g tenderstem broccoli

2 small bunches of enoki mushrooms, separated

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Sea salt

Coriander leaves, to garnish (optional)

Procedure:

1. Place the miso paste in a pan and whisk in the stock. Taste and add a little salt if necessary. Bring to a simmer (don’t boil too rapidly, or it may separate), then add the lime leaves, chillies and ginger.

2. Cut the salmon in half widthways, then add to the stock, skin side down, and gently simmer for 8–10 minutes, basting the salmon in the liquid until cooked through.

3. Separate the pak choi leaves from the stems. Chop the stems into bite-sized pieces and shred the leaves. Slice the broccoli into bite-sized pieces.

4. Carefully transfer the salmon to a plate with a fish slice and pour a small ladleful of broth over it. Bring the stock remaining in the pan back to the boil.

5. Put the broccoli into the broth to cook, and after 30 seconds add the pak choi stems. Cook for a further 1–2 minutes, then add the shredded pak choi leaves. Cook for about 1 minute until wilted. Meanwhile, flake the cooked salmon into large chunks, discarding the skin.

6. Just before serving, add half the mushrooms to the broth. Rub your serving bowls with a little toasted sesame oil, then divide the remaining mushrooms between them. Add some flaked salmon and vegetables to each bowl, then spoon over some broth. Serve immediately, garnished with coriander if liked.