Panfried salmon with crunchy Asian-style salad

It's been a while, sorry! We moved apartments, so I've been a little busy getting everything in order at the new place.

If you've read any of my recipes, you will know I have a thing for lots of texture in my food, crunch in particular is my thing. This recipe with salmon and lots of crunchy vegetables ticks the crunch box for me. The freshness of the vegetables, herbs and nuts provides a good contrast to the richness of the salmon.

What you'll need

Serves two people

2 salmon fillets, approximately 150g each
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Salad ingredients
1 cup wombok/Chinese cabbage, finely sliced
Half a capsicum, seeds removed and finely sliced - I used yellow
Half a small zucchini, finely sliced cross-ways
Handful bean sprouts
6 asparagus spears
1/4 cup salted peanuts
1/4 cup mint and basil leaves, finely chopped

Salad dressing
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Half a teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water

What to do

Heat a frying pan or wok to medium heat. Add a small amount of oil to the pan. Add the capsicum and zucchini to the pan.  Toss/move the ingredients around to stop them burning. After a few minutes remove from the pan to a plate to cool. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for a few minutes until bright green. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a bowl, add all the salad ingredients, including the cooked ones, apart from the peanuts. Toss together well and set aside in the fridge. 

Make the dressing. In a screw-top jar, add all the ingredients, shake very well. Set aside until you serve the dish. If you'd like, add some fresh-chopped chilli to the dressing.

Cook the salmon. Heat a frying pan to high heat. Add a small amount of vegetable to the pan. Place the salmon pieces, skin-side down into the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes on one side, then turn and cook for two minutes on the other side. This will give you salmon that is still pick in the middle. If you want to have it more well-cooked (or less) adjust your cooking time accordingly. The cooking time will also depend on the thickness of your salmon. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Now serve the dish. On your serving plate, place about half the salad. Sprinkle over some of the peanuts and drizzle over some dressing. Place a piece of fish on the top and serve immediately.