Ginger, Lemon and Honey Marinated Salmon

The following recipe comes from Sophies FoodieFiles a fun Belgium based food blog:

Recipe: For 2 persons

Ingredients:

** For the fish & the leeks:

• About 6 to 7 smaller leeks, cleaned, thoroughly washed & pad dry with kitchen paper, each cut into smaller strips about 5 to 6 cm each ( with about 10 cm of the green attached ), in total 585 gr, weighted when cut into smaller strips!!
• 2 salmon fillets, no skin, cleaned & pad dry on kitchen paper
• 4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1 heaped tablespoon of honey
• 4 tablespoons of a fruity EVOO
• 1.5 tablespoons of peeled & finely chopped ginger
• Maldon sea salt flakes
• grinds of fresh black pepper

** For the new potato & chives mash:

• new potatoes for 2 persons, peeled & cut into 2 or 4, well washed
• fresh chives, 10 gr, washed, pad dry on kitchen paper & cut into smaller pieces
• Maldon sea salt flakes
• grinds of fresh black pepper
• freshly grated nutmeg
• Alpro baking margarine ( is soy margarine )

Method:

1. A few hours before dinner, heat a large cooking pot with hot water. Bring to the boil. When boiling, add the strips of the leeks. Blanch the strips in salted boiling water for about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well. When cold, squeeze most of the liquid out. Place into the fridge.

2. Now, make the marinade for the fish. In a smaller bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the fruity EVOO, 1.5 tablespoon of the fresh cut up ginger, 1 heaped tablespoon of the honey, some Maldon sea salt flakes & a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Whisk well. Take a wider oven dish & lay your 2 pieces of salmon in it. Now, pour the marinade all over the salmon. Scatter some of the ginger pieces over the top. Divide the marinade evenly. Put clingfilm over the top & place into the fridge for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the salmon fillets. Place back into the fridge. Do not marinate the salmon for longer then 30 minutes!! 10 minutes before making dinner, preheat the oven to 210°C. ( 410 F )

3. Now, boil your potatoes until cooked through. Drain well. Place the cooking pot again on the hot stove & let the steam go away. Then, off the fire, mash the potatoes. I always add a bit of baking margarine, the chopped chives, grated fresh nutmeg but noo much, some Maldon sea salt flakes & a few grinds of black pepper. It has to taste fab!

4. When the potatoes are 5 minutes cooked, prepare the leeks. In a bigger bowl add the drained leeks, add the 2 remaining tablespoons of the lemon juice & add 2 tablespoons of the fruity EVOO. Add some grinded black pepper too. Mix it well together. Place in the bottom of a large oven dish & divide evenly, all over the base of the dish. Now, place the marinated salmon fillets, on top of the leeks. Pour the marinade all over the top of the fish & the leeks.

Place in the bottom of the preheated oven & bake for about 13 to 15 minutes until the salmon fillets are just cooked through & it all looks succulent!!!

5. When you are going to plate up, lay a bed of leeks in the middle of your plate & carefully place a fish fillet on top, add a few tablespoons of the mash besides the fish! Spoon the juices of the oven dish all over the fish of the 2 plates.

Enjoy with a lovely red Pinot noir on the side!