Jan 18 2008
Sizzlin’ salmon steaks soaked in some smokin’ soy sauce
Guest post written by Dougal Stanton.
The thing about most of Nigella Express is that it’s supposed to be good food made easily. Which generally translates to “with as little fuss as possible”. Sometimes she achieves this aim of “easily” by making the fuss more concentrated.
- Mirin-Glazed Salmon
This dish appears in the chapter called Against The Clock. She means it this time. It’s one of those dishes that requires hundreds of little bowls with sauces and dips and marinades and such, all prepared and ready to go. Then at the last moment — like when your girlfriend gets back from the gym — you frantically soak it and throw it in the pan and oh-my-god-it’s-burning! what’ll-I-do-now? quick-panic!-panic!-panic! it magically all comes together.
I am becoming better at organising myself with the relaxed pace of most of Nigella’s recipes but this had me completely terrified. Inevitably I’m halfway through doing three things at once when I realise there’s no salad or whatever, and by that stage there’s nothing I can do about it.
The result was pretty good though, and the spring onion shreds really made a nice flavour contrast.
There’s a certain relaxed familiarity that comes with experience. I don’t know what it is, but something in the back of your mind that lets you concentrate on background tasks as well as the main task. I am still at the stage where, when things get tough, all my multitasking ability goes out the window.
You need a sous-chef de cuisine.
I am rubbish at the time management during cooking as well - I think my head would explode if I ever were to go on Iron Chef, as if that were even a possibility.