Ingredients
- fresh bunched carrots as needed
- scrubbed new potatoes
- 25 g butter
- white pepper, salt
- 250 g salmon fillet with skin
- handful of red shiso leaves
This salmon thrives on the summer vegetables, but especially on the purple-red curly shiso (Perilla frutescens). I have been hooked on that herb ever since I tasted it at our Japanese daughter-in-law’s. It fits perfectly into that subtle cuisine, with its picturesquely beautiful dishes. Many people say it tastes like cumin, cinnamon, or mint, but for me, the scent of carnations comes closest.
We are quite particular here in the Netherlands when it comes to fresh herbs. Fortunately, since the sixties, it hasn’t been just parsley and celery anymore, but most shops have remained stuck with a small assortment from the Mediterranean region. Admittedly, some markets and specialty shops offer more choice, but they aren’t found in every village, which is why I was happy to read that you can order this little herb in my country online under the name Shiso purple from, among others, Groentebroer.nl. For UK: Classic fine foods. The plant is currently thriving in the sun in my little garden (it turns even more purple then; if you want to keep the leaves somewhat green, it needs to be in the shade). After purchase, let it acclimate to the outdoors out of direct sunlight for 24 hours. Then plant. Initially, water from the base. It cannot tolerate frost but is firm. Therefore, to overwinter, the herb must be kept indoors in a pot
- Cook carrots (‘peeled’ with a vegetable peeler) and potatoes in the same pan in plenty of water (approximately fifteen minutes).
- Bring water to the boil in a shallow pan with plenty of white pepper and some salt. Place the salmon in this. Wait until the water boils again; leave it off the heat for fifteen minutes under a lid.
- Melt some butter in a flame proof dish, roll the drained carrots and baby potatoes in the fat, keep warm under a lid. Add the salmon with a knob of butter on top.
- Before serving, sprinkle shiso leaves over the dish.
Menu suggestion:
- Starter: Crayfish salad: 100 g crayfish with a dollop of whisky sauce (store-bought), served on lettuce leaves with sprigs of dill.
- Dessert: Raspberry rice: soak 1 1/2 gelatin sheets in cold water; mix 250 ml rice pudding with 2 tablespoons of sugar; heat 3 tablespoons, remove from the heat, mix with the squeezed gelatin and the remaining pudding. Transfer to two coupes, and sink 125 g raspberries into them. Let set in the refrigerator.