Kitchen Venture #7: Pan fried basil pesto salmon and Cold Soba part 5

Rightey-o, let's wrap up the Cold Soba series with my very first version and favourite one! It definitely requires more work than the other versions in the previous parts. I would suggest also that you do this on the day you prepare your cold soba. So maybe it is slightly hot, warm soba. But I can always tell you how to make it cold in a short amount of time. Leave it in the fridge on a separate plate on top of ice cubes!

Preparation for the salmon pieces:

1. Salmon with skin on will give you more texture because of the crispy skin at the end of it. Do wash the fish properly and make sure there are no scales left on the skin.

2. Slice the salmon into thick pieces so it retains its juices but will be cooked through. Season with salt and pepper at this point.

3. Chop onions (red or brown doesn't matter, but here I used brown so there will be no colour clash). Not too finely, just so you can have bite and the crunch.

3. Heat up frying pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or butter.

4. Fry the minced garlic until brownish.

5. Add salmon pieces to the hot pan on top of the garlic. Use a pair of tongs or chopsticks to turn them. Throw in onions around it too.

6. While one side is cooking, add a layer of basil pesto (dips are fine) onto the other side of salmon. Once browned, turn salmon pieces.

7. Make sure to also sear the skin side till crispy. You can do this one by one while the other pieces are cooking on the meat sides.

8. Poke one to check if it is cooked through. Once done, use a spatula to push it around and mix the garlic and onions with salmon pieces for a minute or two. Switch the stove off after and let it sit.

Photos credits: mayydiaries.blogspot.com
Preparing the plate:

1. Twirl noodles as tight as you can, not in the direct middle of the plate, slightly to the right. It should sit high.

2. Position 4 salmon pieces to the left before adding onion pieces on top of it and a sprinkle on top of the noodles. Pepper to season.

3. Clean sides and decorate with Balsamic Glaze (I used Balsamic Apple Glaze).

4. It is now ready to be served. The balsamic glaze is actually to be eaten and dipped into! If you want the traditional soba soya mirin sauce, it is not difficult to buy a bottle of it. Pour it into individual bowls, only 1/3 of the bowl and add some water. Throw in some spring onions.

Now, it is lunchtime and I am hungry again...Hmmm....I sure hope you have fun with your cold soba noodles and be sure to tell me if you come up with any versions!

Till my next kitchen venture, Mayy xo