Ingredients
| FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE | |
| ½ cup brown sugar or palm sugar | |
| 2 tablespoons fish sauce | |
| grated zest and juice of 1 lime | |
| ½ teaspoon chilli flakes | |
| FOR THE SALAD | |
| 2 tablespoons caramel sauce | |
| 2 tablespoons fish sauce | |
| juice of 1 lime | |
| 2 carrots | |
| 125g snow peas | |
| 1 green mango | |
| 4 baby cucumbers | |
| 1 punnet cherry tomatoes | |
| 1-2 red chillies, sliced | |
| ½ cup roasted peanuts | |
| a good handful herbs such as Vietnamese mint, Thai basil and dill | |
| TO SERVE | |
| 1 side salmon, pin boned, skin on | |
| 1 tablespoon sea salt | |
| ¼ cup coconut chips, toasted | |
| 1-2 red chillies, sliced | |
| a small handful herbs such as Vietnamese mint, Thai basil and dill |
Salmon makes for an impressive dish especially when cooked as a whole side. For a lush, more snazzy option I might top the fish with some salmon roe if available, but this also works well for weeknight meals using smaller pieces of salmon. Leftovers might find their way into rice paper rolls with the addition of rice vermicelli. The caramel and the undressed salad can be made ahead of time then finished when required.
Instructions
| 1. | CARAMEL SAUCE |
| 2. | Put the brown sugar in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil, so that the sugar dissolves and caramelises. |
| 3. | Remove from the heat, add the fish sauce, lime zest and juice and chilli flakes and set aside to cool. |
| 4. | Adjust with more fish sauce or lime juice if needed. |
| 5. | Remove 2 tablespoons of the caramel and set aside to use in the salad dressing. |
| 6. | FOR THE SALAD |
| 7. | To make the dressing, mix together the caramel sauce, fish sauce and lime juice. |
| 8. | Add more fish sauce and lime juice if you think it necessary. Set aside. |
| 9. | Cut the carrots, snow peas, mango and cucumber into long, thin strips and put into a bowl. |
| 10. | Halve the tomatoes and add to the bowl, along with the chillies, peanuts and herbs. |
| 11. | When ready to serve add the dressing and toss well. |
| 12. | TO SERVE |
| 13. | Heat the oven to 200°C. |
| 14. | Line a lipped baking tray with foil. |
| 15. | Rub the salmon with the sea salt and leave for 30 minutes. |
| 16. | Pat dry with paper towels. |
| 17. | Lightly spray or oil the foil. Put the salmon on the foil skin-side down and brush the fish with some of the caramel. |
| 18. | Put into the oven for 12-15 minutes (or a little longer if you prefer it well cooked), brushing once with more caramel halfway through cooking. |
| 19. | Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining caramel. |
| 20. | Allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a serving platter (I usually loosen the fish from the foil then use a couple of wide and flat spatulas for this). |
| 21. | Top with a couple of tablespoons of coconut chips (add the rest to the salad), chilli and herbs. |
| 22. | Serve with the just-dressed salad. |
Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles
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