Ideas that, were I to stop and think, would lead me to suspect I'm turning into something akin to those dangerous scientists from Sci-Fi stories. You know the type - too wrapped up in the discovery that something can be done to wonder whether it should be done.
Yes... Once in a while, the urge to try something wacky overcomes my basic need to prepare something quick and - above all - definitely edible, and I end up doing something completely stupid for dinner.
But I digress.
Recently, the Saucy Fish Company have been advertising quite a bit on television and, I have to say, their wares look very tempting. Not only do they sell sauces, they sell fish along with an 'ideal accompanying' sauce, including a range of 'cook in the bag' options, along the lines of Bird's Eye's 'Bake to Perfection' line. One of the options they describe in the advert is salmon with chilli, lime and ginger. I had one of those 'lightbulb moments', realising that I had some salmon in my freezer, some chilli peppers drying on my kitchen windowsill, a bottle of Waitrose lime juice in my fridge, and several sachets of 'Very Lazy' ginger paste in a cupboard. What could go wrong?
Well, based on that previous attempt at a ginger glaze that didn't glaze, quite a lot. But did I let that deter me?
Ingredients (quantities are approximate, and for roughly 1 serving):
- Dried Chilli Pepper (about 1/4 of the pepper)
- Very Lazy Ginger Paste (2 sachets)
- Maple Syrup (2 tablespoons)
- Lime Juice (3 teaspoons)
- Salmon Fillet
Tools Required:
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Small Dish or Cup
- Stirring Implement
- Kitchen Foil
- Baking Tray
Preheat oven to approx 200-210C (for fan assisted... about 230C if not). Cut approximately 1/4 of a dried chilli pepper into small pieces and mix in with 2 sachets worth of ginger paste. Add 2 tablespoons of Maple syrup and 3 teaspoons of lime juice. Stir thoroughly, till the resulting paste is smooth.
Lay the salmon fillet on enough kitchen foil to wrap around the fillet and cover it completely. Pour (or spoon) the sauce over the top, then close up the foil, place it on a baking tray, and stick it into the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
The Results:
Actually, this wasn't half bad. I did sneak a taste of the sauce before adding it to the salmon, just to see how it was coming along, and adjusted the quantities according to whatever I felt was lacking. It didn't glaze (even after sticking it under the grill for another couple of minutes, just as an experiment), but I suspect I should have used some kind of honey rather than Maple syrup. Alternatively, grilling for longer might have worked... certainly, the run-off had not only glazed, but started burning... which is vaguely promising.
This home-made sauce isn't as smooth or as clear as what I've seen of the Saucy Fish Co's version, and I - perhaps foolishly - didn't include any of the seeds in the sauce, so the chilli didn't have as much of a kick as it might have done, but this is certainly something I shall revisit and attempt to refine in future.
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