Pan Fried Salmon Fillet on Bombay Potatoes, sweet chilli and coriander oil

At the tender age of 14, I emigrated with my family to the Isle of Man to begin a new life.  In my minds eye it was only a ‘spit’ away and, I would be returning to Dublin – that return journey however, took a staggering 30 years!

I can still recall my first visit to a supermarket in the IOM, not an exotic experience but hey hoo they did have vegetables I hadn’t come across in Cabra West to date.  These culinary delights included broccoli, sweetcorn and celery to mention but a few.  My stable diet up till then had consisted of cabbage, carrots, onion, turnip, sprouts and the good ole spud, I do also recall though having the occasional cauliflower that was boiled to a consistency that could pass through a strainer!

My ‘cheffing’ life began the summer after I arrived in the IOM and was attributed mainly to the fact that both my parents were out working.  As I needed to keep boredom at bay during the summer vacation, I found myself messing about in the kitchen concocting a medley of snacks and treats, recipes I found in my Mam’s old cookery books!

There were a couple of outhouses on our land that were rented out to biker’s during the TT Races in June and, before I knew it, I had an eager market for my ‘steak and mushroom pies’.  They went down like hot cakes and I was quid’s in – they couldn’t get enough of them!  As for me, I was more than happy to supply on demand!

I tended to struggle at school so it was suggested I might try ‘Chef’ school, needless to say I jumped at the opportunity and spent the rest of the summer practising and fine tuning my newfound skill.  I decided this was my niche in life and headed off for college and never looked back!

The Ireland I left over 30 years’, isn’t the Ireland I returned to.  Apart from the wealth and prosperity that people now enjoyed it had become cosmopolitan – in the seventies, in Carbra West you would have been called a ‘foreigner’ if you were from Finglas.  Incidentally, some people on our estate in Cabra didn’t even own a matching pair of socks and in some cases shoes!

I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived in a number of major European cities and am well used to an eclectic range of cultures. I am happy to share my space and integrate however, I feel, Ireland as a nation still has some way to go before it is comfortable with that situation! My belief is you take away the 4Cs’, colour, creed, cuisine and culture and underneath we are all the same, fighting to survive and make the most of this existence.

If I can return to my days at Chef school, one of the very first dishes I remember cooking was a curry and I still recall the anxiety I felt at the thought of having to actually eat it.  Once past the first mouthful though I was hooked it was awesome.  I was tucking into a banquet of ‘authentic’ Indian cuisine with all the side dishes, Bombay duck, toasted banana and coconut, mango chutney, mint yogurt, pompadums and naan breads.  Over the years though I have realised that Indian cultures don’t eat these types of dishes.  Our take on their food is a fusion of cuisines – just the way it should be!

20 years from now it will be interesting to see what the effect of East European and African food has had on our humble traditional offerings – what will constitute a ‘coddle’ (only those from Dublin will know this dish, others may have only heard of this dish) and what about our ‘Irish Stew’ (you should see the French version of it its enough to make you weep!).

Finally, I serve you up my very own fusion this week, Pan-fried Salmon Fillet on a bed of Bombay-Style potatoes with a Chilli and Coriander oil.

Enjoy!

Pan Fried Salmon Fillet on Bombay Potatoes, sweet chilli and coriander oil

For the Bombay Potatoes

1 tblspn                       Vegetable oil

150g                Red Onion, finely chopped

1 - 1 ½ tspn     Garam Masala

½ - 1 tspn        Ground coriander

½ tspn.             Madras Curry powder

300g                Cooked new potatoes, cut in half

1 tin                 Chopped tomatoes

100g                Garden Peas

½ - 1                Red pepper, chopped

Cooking the Salmon

2-4                   Salmon Fillets

2 tblspns          Vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the coriander oil

150mls                        Olive oil

fistful               Coriander

50g                  Sweet chilli dressing

For the Bombay potatoes

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucerpan. Add the onions and fried until golden brown. Add the spices and mix in well, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked new potatoes and stir together. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 6-8 minutes, simmering gently. Add the peas and the chopped peppers around 5 minutes before serving the fish to keep the peppers and pea colour vibriant.

For the Fish

Heat a frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat until very hot. Add the salmon fillets, face side down and cook quickly until golden brown. Turn over, place on a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper and place in the oven 180C for 5 minutes, longer if you prefer your fish well cooked.

Add the red pepper and peas to the potatoes.

To make the dressing

Place the oil in a tall jug. Add the coriander leaves and blend with a stick blender.. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place a portion of the potato on a place. Lay a portion of the salmon on top. Drizzle to coriander oil and sweet chilli dressing around the outside.

At the tender age of 14, I emigrated with my family to the Isle of Man to begin a new life.  In my minds eye it was only a ‘spit’ away and, I would be returning to Dublin – that return journey however, took a staggering 30 years!

I can still recall my first visit to a supermarket in the IOM, not an exotic experience but hey hoo they did have vegetables I hadn’t come across in Cabra West to date.  These culinary delights included broccoli, sweetcorn and celery to mention but a few.  My stable diet up till then had consisted of cabbage, carrots, onion, turnip, sprouts and the good ole spud, I do also recall though having the occasional cauliflower that was boiled to a consistency that could pass through a strainer!

My ‘cheffing’ life began the summer after I arrived in the IOM and was attributed mainly to the fact that both my parents were out working.  As I needed to keep boredom at bay during the summer vacation, I found myself messing about in the kitchen concocting a medley of snacks and treats, recipes I found in my Mam’s old cookery books!

There were a couple of outhouses on our land that were rented out to biker’s during the TT Races in June and, before I knew it, I had an eager market for my ‘steak and mushroom pies’.  They went down like hot cakes and I was quid’s in – they couldn’t get enough of them!  As for me, I was more than happy to supply on demand!

I tended to struggle at school so it was suggested I might try ‘Chef’ school, needless to say I jumped at the opportunity and spent the rest of the summer practising and fine tuning my newfound skill.  I decided this was my niche in life and headed off for college and never looked back!

The Ireland I left over 30 years’, isn’t the Ireland I returned to.  Apart from the wealth and prosperity that people now enjoyed it had become cosmopolitan – in the seventies, in Carbra West you would have been called a ‘foreigner’ if you were from Finglas.  Incidentally, some people on our estate in Cabra didn’t even own a matching pair of socks and in some cases shoes!

I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived in a number of major European cities and am well used to an eclectic range of cultures. I am happy to share my space and integrate however, I feel, Ireland as a nation still has some way to go before it is comfortable with that situation! My belief is you take away the 4Cs’, colour, creed, cuisine and culture and underneath we are all the same, fighting to survive and make the most of this existence.

If I can return to my days at Chef school, one of the very first dishes I remember cooking was a curry and I still recall the anxiety I felt at the thought of having to actually eat it.  Once past the first mouthful though I was hooked it was awesome.  I was tucking into a banquet of ‘authentic’ Indian cuisine with all the side dishes, Bombay duck, toasted banana and coconut, mango chutney, mint yogurt, pompadums and naan breads.  Over the years though I have realised that Indian cultures don’t eat these types of dishes.  Our take on their food is a fusion of cuisines – just the way it should be!

20 years from now it will be interesting to see what the effect of East European and African food has had on our humble traditional offerings – what will constitute a ‘coddle’ (only those from Dublin will know this dish, others may have only heard of this dish) and what about our ‘Irish Stew’ (you should see the French version of it its enough to make you weep!).

Finally, I serve you up my very own fusion this week, Pan-fried Salmon Fillet on a bed of Bombay-Style potatoes with a Chilli and Coriander oil.

Enjoy!

Pan Fried Salmon Fillet on Bombay Potatoes, sweet chilli and coriander oil

For the Bombay Potatoes

1 tblspn                       Vegetable oil

150g                Red Onion, finely chopped

1 - 1 ½ tspn     Garam Masala

½ - 1 tspn        Ground coriander

½ tspn.             Madras Curry powder

300g                Cooked new potatoes, cut in half

1 tin                 Chopped tomatoes

100g                Garden Peas

½ - 1                Red pepper, chopped

Cooking the Salmon

2-4                   Salmon Fillets

2 tblspns          Vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the coriander oil

150mls                        Olive oil

fistful               Coriander

50g                  Sweet chilli dressing

For the Bombay potatoes

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucerpan. Add the onions and fried until golden brown. Add the spices and mix in well, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked new potatoes and stir together. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 6-8 minutes, simmering gently. Add the peas and the chopped peppers around 5 minutes before serving the fish to keep the peppers and pea colour vibriant.

For the Fish

Heat a frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat until very hot. Add the salmon fillets, face side down and cook quickly until golden brown. Turn over, place on a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper and place in the oven 180C for 5 minutes, longer if you prefer your fish well cooked.

Add the red pepper and peas to the potatoes.

To make the dressing

Place the oil in a tall jug. Add the coriander leaves and blend with a stick blender.. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place a portion of the potato on a place. Lay a portion of the salmon on top. Drizzle to coriander oil and sweet chilli dressing around the outside.