These Salmon noodle bowls are the kind of no-fuss, good-for-you food we actually eat daily — the kind of dish that genuinely epitomizes modern California cuisine.
The recipe comes from a new cookbook by food writer, Eleanor Maidment — California Eating + Living—which channels the heart of our dear home base into the most delicious dishes, in the most visually-delightful way. Eleanor’s salmon noodle bowls are just one of many whole-ingredient dishes we adore from the book’s pages. Prep the individual components of this recipe in advance and enjoy all week…
I make this kind of dish at least once a week. Once you get used to assembling all the separate components, it’s something that can be thrown together very quickly. It is also adaptable to whatever leftover vegetables you have lingering in the refrigerator — often I’ll pickle carrot or cucumber instead of radish and add a pile of steamed broccoli or edamame. The chilli-yuzu relish (also known as yuzu kosho) is not strictly necessary, but it does add a lovely extra flourish that I think is worth the trouble. This recipe serves two, but you can easily scale it up to serve more.
SALMON NOODLE BOWLS with chilli relish + pickled radish
Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 oz dried fine egg noodles
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 salmon fillets, skin removed
½ Tbsp soy sauce
1 avocado, peeled, halved and stoned
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 spring onion (scallion), finely shredded
For the quick-pickled radish:
2 Tbsp Japanese rice vinegar
2 tsp runny honey
5 oz watermelon radish, peeled and thinly sliced
For the soy dressing:
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Japanese rice vinegar
1 tsp runny honey
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
For the chilli-yuzu relish:
1 large or 2 small jalapeños (or any green chilli), seeded and finely chopped
pinch of flaky sea salt
¼ teaspoon concentrated yuzu juice (or mandarin or lime juice)
pinch of caster (superfine) sugar (optional)
Directions:
Toss all the pickled radish ingredients in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare everything else, but keep tossing from time to time to coat.
For the soy dressing:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bow. Set aside.
For the the chilli-yuzu relish:
Place the chopped chilli on a chopping board. Sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt and, using the flat side of the blade of a chef’s knife, crush the salt into the chilli using a rolling motion. You may need to scrape it up into a pile every now and then, and chop it with the blade to help break down the skin. (Alternatively, pound it in a pestle and mortar or blitz in a small food processor.) Transfer the relish to a bowl and mix in the yuzu juice, and sweeten it with the sugar if required.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and drop in the egg noodles, simmer for 3 minutes (or according to the packet instructions), then drain and rinse under the cold tap. Shake to drain, then toss with the sesame oil. Spread out on paper towel to soak up any more excess water.
Preheat the grill (broiler) to medium-high (460˚F) and line a baking sheet with kitchen foil. Place the salmon fillets on the lined tray, brush the tops with the soy sauce and grill for 7 to 8 minutes, or until cooked through.
Divide the noodles between 2 bowls, and spoon over a little soy dressing. Arrange half an avocado and a good heap of pickled radish on each. Place a salmon fillet on each and top with the chilli-yuzu relish. Spoon over the remaining dressing and scatter with sesame seeds and spring onion to serve.
Recipes excerpted with permission from California: Living + Eating by Eleanor Maidment, published by Hardie Grant Books May 2019, RRP $29.99 Hardcover.
