Delicious Food, Part III

Enough nonsense. How about some fish?

Yummy Salmon

Nigella adapted this recipe from someone called Neil Stuart, and I adapted it inasmuch as I fudge the ingredients and made up my own side dish. Well, decided on my own side dish - I don't think I can get away with claiming to have invented rice. But I will tell you how I fix it:

Rice
1 cup short-grain white rice, preferably Japanese (sticky)
1.5 cups water
1/2 onion (or 1 small)
butter
salt

Finely chop onion and sauté in butter in a small or medium sauce pan over low-medium heat. You may, optionally, lightly salt at this stage. When the onions begin to lose their color, add the rice, stir, and add the water. Turn the heat up to high and cover the pan. As soon as the lid begins to rattle, turn the heat down as low as possible (if you have a heat diffuser, you can use it). Let cook 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your stove and variety of rice. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, five minutes. Stir and serve.

Fishies

For two servings of salmon:

1/4 t each:
ginger
cinnamon
cumin
cayenne pepper
sugar (1/8 t Splenda if sugar verboten)
salt
hot mustard powder (Colman's)

All ground, of course.

Mix, then dredge fish, both sides. You can get away with using whatever spices you've got as long as they resemble the list above - for example, I used cardamom last time because I had no ground cinnamon. Also, I believe the original recipe included cocoa powder as well, which would probably be delightful.

Heat a flat griddle or non-stick frying pan. If you have neither, you can use any frying pan, but you'll need to get it very hot and a flexible, thin spatula will be almost indispensable.

Cook the fish at least 2 minutes on each side for rare and brightly colored, longer if you like it well done and flaky. Flipping it over and removing it may be difficult. Don't fret if the fish falls to bits - it will still taste good. Just avoid making this for anyone you wish to impress unless you've done it at least once before, so that you know what to expect.

Sauce

Mix together 1.5 teaspoons each mustard powder and sugar (or 3/4 t Splenda) and 1 teaspoon warm water. Pour over fish (and rice, and a small green salad if you like - no further dressing necessary). If you like this spicy sauce as much as Will and I do, double the recipe.