Pan-fried salmon with soba noodles

(serves 2)

Japanese food is so simple and healthy and delicious! After a recent pasta disaster, i've decided to take a break and move onto asian food for a bit (like a few days, don't worry). May also be feeling a bit fat from cooking and eating too much, so if i'm going to continue to eat to my heart's content, may as well make it healthy! Funny, i think my body actually moves onto healthy cravings if i've been eating excessively ~ must be that natural body weight set-point (or just optimistic thinking)!

Prep time: 10 min

Cooking time: 20 min

Ingredients:
1 small can corn (200g)
2x80g soba noodles
1 pack enoki mushrooms (150g)
300g salmon fillet, cut into 2
handful of chinese cabbage (if in fridge)
soy sauce
mirin
sesame oil
oil
1 T plain flour
3 T soba sauce
1/2 sprig of shallot, finely diced, to serve
chopped dried seaweed, to serve
toasted sesame seeds, to serve


Method:
1. Scale the salmon skin, and use a tweezer to get rid of any bones. Cut the fillet in half. Marinate in a bit of mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil.
2. Finely chop the chinese cabbage (if using). Break up the enoki mushrooms into bite-size stalks.
3. Heat a pan with 1/2 T oil, put the cabbage in and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and drizzle with soy sauce and mirin. Cook until mushrooms are soft. Add 1/2 tsp sesame oil and toss the corn through. Remove all vegetables from the pan and wash the pan.
4. Heat the pan and add a very thin layer of oil to the pan. 
NB. The salmon should release oil when cooking, so no need to add too much oil, just enough so the skin doesn't stick.
5. Dust the skin of the salmon with flour, then place the salmon in the frypan with the skin side down. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes on low-medium heat. Turn the salmon and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, watching the side to see how well-cooked it is. Remove from pan when it is medium-rare.
6. In the meantime, boil water and cook the soba noodles for 3-4 minutes. Drain in a collander and rinse in cold water immediately several times to maintain the chewiness and to remove any starch.

7. You can arrange the noodles in small thin bundles by picking up a thin batch and folding it over 2-3 times. Arrange ingredients around the noodles, and place salmon on top! Garnish with dried seaweed and sesame seeds.

8. Pour soba sauce into small bowl, add finely diced shallots, dried seaweed and sesame seeds.

Flake salmon and mix sauce in for ease of eating!