Asian salmon with beetroot chips

“Throughout England, I came across a lot Chinese restaurants and eateries that served traditional fish and chips. I found this quite unusual, so I decided to come up with an Asian version. If you want to cheat a little, you can buy the beetroot chips ready made from good health food stores.” Luke Nguyen, Luke Nguyen's United Kingdom

• serves

  4

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
• large pinch of sea salt
• 2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, chopped
• 1 fresh red chilli, chopped
• 4 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped, plus extra shredded, to serve
• ½ bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved for serving
• 3 cm piece ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 125 ml (½ cup) light soy sauce
• 60 ml (¼ cup) dark soy sauce
• 1 kg piece skinless Atlantic salmon fillet, pin-boned
• 175 g (½ cup) honey, warmed

Beetroot chips

• 1 kg beetroot, trimmed and scrubbed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line 2-3 large baking trays with baking paper. 

Using a mandolin, thinly slice the beetroot then place in a bowl. Add the oil and toss to coat well, then place them on the prepared trays in single layers, making sure you don’t overcrowd the trays. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Place in bowl, season to taste and toss to combine.

Increase the oven temperature to 200ºC. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the spices until finely ground. Add the lemongrass, chilli, spring onion, coriander stalks, ginger and garlic until a paste forms. Stir in the soy sauces. 

Place the fish on the lined tray and coat with the sauce. Brush the salmon with the warm honey, then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the fish is just cooked but still a little pink in the centre. Carefully transfer the fish to a board or serving platter, sprinkle with the extra spring onion and coriander leaves and beetroot chips and serve. 

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.