Sunday, August 9, 2015

Huon salmon tacos

I've been meaning to replicate an amazing dish "Ocean Trout tacos" that I had tried at Big Stone. I had wondered how they made the taco shell which was so crunchy and delicious combined with the rice and sashimi grade ocean trout was a taste explosion I wanted to have all over again.

Whilst making deep fried dumplings for the kids a few nights ago, I realised the tacos were made from egg wonton wrappers. With this in mind, I was determined to make this dish. Heading down to the Sydney Fish Market, I found that the deboned, skinless Huon salmon was on special and spotting the Huon Salmon caviar on the shelf would add to that extravagance for this dish.

I loved this dish and so did the kidlets. These were so good and being eaten as fast as I could make them. A delicious tasty dish that I will certainly be making again soon.


 
Makes 24 tacos
 

Ingredients


Rice
1 cup of cooked rice (day old rice works a treat)
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of salt

400g deboned and skinless Huon salmon, cut into small cubes
Garnish with spring onion thinly sliced
Tasmanian Huon salmon caviar 50g

Egg wonton wrappers
Canola oil

Sauce
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs mirin 
2 tsp grated ginger


Method


1. Prepare rice by mixing with sesame oil and salt. Roll into long 5cm long logs and set aside.

2. Prepare the salmon, cutting into thin half centimetre slices and then into small cubes. Set aside in a bowl.

3. Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients of vinegar, soy sauce, mirin and grated ginger.

4. Place 2 cups of oil into a wok and place on medium high. (Pointing a wooden chopstick to the base of the heated oil in the wok, when the bubbles rise instantly, you know when it is ready).

5. Place 4 wonton wrappers into the hot oil. As these cooking away, place the tongs in the centre to create a slight depression to give a bowl like appearance. This will be handy when putting the tacos together.

6. Place the cooked wonton wrappers on a plate and add the rolled rice logs.

7. Place a good amount of Huon salmon on top of the rice.

8. Garnish with thinly sliced spring onion and salmon caviar.

9. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sauce on top just before serving.



Handy Hints

What to do with leftover rice?
With the leftover rice, I use sandwich bags and fill this to a handful size to place into the freezer and have rice ready to use at a moment's notice.

Place the unwrapped frozen rice into a bowl in the microwave with a dash of water and place on high heat for 3 minutes to get lovely soft rice instantly.

Ingredients sourced from?
You can find Tasmanian Huon salmon caviar 100g for $15 at De Costi, Sydney Fish Markets.
You can also use Ocean Trout fillets or Huon salmon deboned and skinless.





Thursday, August 6, 2015

Stuffed sardines Catania style

 
This dish is homage to my time spent in Sicily. When I heard of my inlaws' impending trip to Dubai, Malta and Sicily, it didn't take long to convince hubby that we were going to tag along. A week of last minute organising flights and accommodation, it was one of the craziest things I have done.

Whereas we had managed to secure a beautifully decorated hotel, Shalai in town with alfresco murals adorning the ceiling, my inlaws had managed to secure a homestead just outside of Linguglossa. With views to an active Mt Etna spewing smoke into the sky, surrounded with olive trees, fruit orchard with a secret garden feel.

We headed into town for our usual supply of pecorino, assortment of salamis, delicacies and biscuits. Whilst in town, we spied the local fish shop and checked out the fresh catch of the day. The sardines caught my eye, as well as the copious amounts of young and mature pecorino and crusty bread.

Unbeknownst to us, the town had been decorated overnight with flags of pink. With blaring music, the locals out and about, I came across a van selling paraphernalia for the 2011 Giro d'italia. 

My lightbulb moment.

Click! It's the cycling race which is the precursor to the Tour de France. How exciting to be here whilst it was all happening.

With growing excitement in the air, we were told the race would be passing straight past the house. I was surprised at the number of support crew but understanding mishaps happen in minutes, it's best to be prepared. Watching numerous skodas driving past, motorbikes weaving in and out of steady queue of support and media cars, policemen on stanby posted along the route.














Not knowing when the race was happening, we were pacing from the back to the front of the house. The growing crescendo of beeping horns signalled that the peloton was on approach.

These lean athletes were within eyeshot, climbing the long ascent to where we were standing before whizzing past in the blink of an eye. There may have been a few stragglers which we cheered on with gusto.

It may be the closest I was going to get to Alberto Contador, who also won the race a few days later. Standing beside my inlaws, I must have looked like a loony waving a rainbow coloured sun umbrella in my bright pink Gira d'Italia tshirt cheering as the cyclist flew past. Hubby lugged our 6 month bub who looked rather bewildered at the whole experience.
 
It was soon back to lunch, setting up the front porch with pillows and blankets for bubba to explore.

The boys, ahem men, made fire to bbq our sardines. Lunch was a success with a glass of the Mt Etna white in hand. One of the many amazing memories on this trip.

Counting down the days til the next trip which is in a few more sleeps time.
 

 

Serves 4
 

Ingredients 


800g sardines, filleted and cleaned
100g bread with crusts removed
100g aged pecorino cheese, grated 
Italian parsley
Plain flour
Sunflower oil
Red wine vinegar
 

Method 


1. Bone the sardines and soak in vinegar for 20mins. Dry and lay flat. 

2. Soak the bread in the vinegar. Wring out, mix with cheese and chopped parsley. 

3. Spread a little of the stuffing on the flesh side of half the sardines. 



4. Lie another sardine on the top, forming a kind of sandwich and seal thoroughly. 

5. Flour and fry in oil.



Handy hints

I have found filleted sardines at the Sydney Fish Market at De Costi for about $10 which removes the fiddly work of having to do it yourself.