I don’t cook fish that often, and when I do it has to be as fresh as possible. I’m that customer in my local supermarket smelling everything. Smell is one of our key senses and not to be disregarded when food shopping. Our nose was designed for us to sniff food and make a judgment as to whether it’s safe to eat or not. Even now with sell-by dates and all sorts of modern vacuum packaging, I still rely on my nose before I buy something, particularly meat and fish. Fresh fish should smell like the sea, it shouldn’t be unpleasant but rather it should remind you of crashing waves, fresh and salty.
It’s amazing how our nose can decide if fish is fresh enough to eat and at the same type accept Nam Pla, the Asian fish sauce. I find the strong flavoured fermented anchovy sauce to be quite addictive, especially when mixed with acidic lime juice.
Making your own fermented foods at home requires a real reliance on knowing what smells right. It can be learned, and as always it’s best to trust your instincts. It’s about knowing when sauerkraut or kimchi is just fermented enough or if it needs a little more time, and knowing when a ferment has been contaminated and the balance disrupted. It’s so basic and very grounding to have to rely on your senses – sight, taste and smell.
This beautiful salmon dish is a real treat for the senses. A creamy white wine and lemon sauce coats al dente tagliatelle, with nuggets of roasted salmon. This dish can be assembled in minutes if the salmon is cooked ahead of time. I usually roast it, then store in the fridge ready for reheating on top of the creamy pasta. Just coat the pasta in the sauce, then place the salmon on top, cover with a lid and leave on a low simmer for five minutes to heat through before serving.
I use sun-dried tomato pesto for a quick shortcut to flavour with this salmon. You could also just season it with salt and pepper. I love The Happy Pear sun-dried tomato pesto, it has a little cayenne and balsamic vinegar balancing it nicely. It’s amazing on so many things and really great with this salmon. This is a gorgeous midweek pasta dish that tastes like a real treat.
