Recipe: Cured Salmon

A lot of store bought smoked salmon are not really smoked, even though some think that they have a smokey taste (especially the brand that starts with an F). But no, they do not taste smokey at all because they are not smoked to begin with. (Real smoked salmon has a rich smokey flavour that has sort of a more woody taste, and it tastes like, uh, burnt wood.) Instead, they are cured using a brine. While it is not impossible to make smoked salmon at home, it is easier to get the basics right with curing the fish.

Essentially, the curing process gives the salmon more flavour, changes the texture by firming up the flesh, and gives it a beautiful orange hue. In fact, salmon used in sushi restaurants have been cured too, using a light curing solution. That explains why they always have a distinctive taste that you will never be able to get from the supermarket sushi.

Curing salmon is simple and relatively quick. You just need salt and sugar, and a fresh fillet of sashimi grade salmon. The important thing here is to keep your workstation very clean and hygienic, because the fish will be eaten without cooking. Here are the steps for home cured salmon.

Home cured salmon, much fresher than store bought!

Cured Salmon

Ingredients:

250g of salmon fillet (skinless, pin-boned, sashimi grade)

50g of coarse sea salt

50g of sugar (white, brown, or golden, up to your preference)

1 lemon

Ground nutmeg (optional)

Steps:

1. Mix the salt and sugar together, stir to make sure they are evenly mixed. If you are adding ground nutmeg, add it here as well.

2. Using a fine grater, zest the lemon and mix it in too. Add the juice of half a lemon, and mix. You should have a mixture with the texture of wet sand. 

3. Pat the salmon fillet dry. Coat the whole filet with the salt and sugar mixture, making sure that all of the fillet is covered.

4. Place the salmon in one side of a clean and dry airtight container. Replace the lid and put the whole container in a refrigerator, on the top shelf. Use a clean rug, roll it up and place it under the container, such that the side with the salmon is elevated and the container is tilted. This allows the liquid drawn out by the dry cure to flow away from the fillet, instead of soaking it. 

5. Allow the fish to cure for up to 4 hours. Once done, run the cured fillet under running water to wash off the cure on the surface. Pat dry. 

6. If desired, add a few drops of high quality extra virgin olive oil and rub over the surface of the fish. This will give it some extra flavour and a glossy finish. 

7. Slice thinly (or in thick, chunky slices) and serve cold. It goes very well with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.  

Recipe: Beef Bowl

Beef short ribs and cherry tomato salad, over rice

I truly enjoy a meal that I can get my rice, veg and meat all in one bowl. Everything is perfectly seasoned, and the flavours come together in unison, such that they all taste right being put together in the same bowl. All you need is rice, your favorite cut of meat, and your preferred choice of dietary fiber. 

Here's a recipe to replicate the bowl in the picture above. 

Steak and Rice (Serves 2)

Total Time: 1hr

Ingredients:

400g of ribeye or striploin (1.5 inch thick)

200g of cherry tomatoes (1 small box)

2 packs of prepared rice (pre-cooked, can be found in Cold Storage)

Wafu or Yuzu dressing (store-bought, for convenience)

Black pepper and salt

Wasabi (optional)

Steps:

1. Salt your steak, and set aside for 40min to dry brine. Dry brining allows the salt to work through the whole cut of meat, so the whole piece is tasty and seasoned through.

2. While the steak dry brines, wash and halve the cherry tomatoes. Use your hands, give the halved tomatoes a gentle squeeze. Lightly dress the tomatoes in the dressing, and mix it in with its own juice. Set aside. 

3. Liberally grind the black pepper over the steak. 

4. Set a non-stick frying pan on high heat, till smoking. Add a lug of canola oil (higher smoke point than olive oil), and gently place the steak in the pan. 

5. I flip the steak once, giving 3m 45s per side. Allow the steak to properly sear and brown on each side. 

6. After flipping, heat up the rice for 1m 30s in its pack with lid slightly open. Once done, transfer the hot rice to a bowl.

7. Remove the steak, rest for at least 7m,

8. Give the cherry tomatoes a good mix again, and scoop them over the rice. Leave about half the surface for the steak. Save the juices.

9. Slice the beef after has rested, slice it into thick slices (its more enjoyable this way!) Lay the slices of beef to fill up the other half of the bowl. 

10. Mix the juices from the beef with those from the tomatoes. Drizzle it over the top of both the beef and tomatoes, and crack some black pepper over them to finish. 

11. Serve warm, with wasabi on the side. 

You can substitute the beef with your favorite protein, and the tomatoes with your favorite veg. It's a simple bowl to put together, and definitely enjoyable. 

3 Tips for Cooking in College

Out of the 8 semesters in NUS, I spent 7 staying on campus. Among the indispensible items in my room, you'll find a heavy frying pan and tongs, and two knives. If you are someone who loves food, enjoys cooking a meal, and finds the food in the dining hall a tad unappealing sometimes, do read on! Preparing your own lunches can help you to save money (depending on how much you spend on the ingredients, and how lavishly you want your lunches to be), and very likely be healthier as well. Here are three tips that I thought will come in handy when you need/want to fix a meal in college.

Beef Bowl: recipe for this in the next post!

1. Get the right equipment (from IKEA!)

The pantries in the residential colleges are the only places that you can cook in, and they only have one induction cooker per pantry. So, that means you will need pots and pans that allow you to cook using induction heating. Depending on what you prefer to eat, choose either a sauce pan or a frying pan. The pans and pots from IKEA are affordable, and the frying pan has lasted me for a good long while and is still going strong, better than the more expensive Tefal pans that I have used before. Yes, they are heavy, but they really do allow for more even cooking, especially if you are looking into preparing steaks and chops in college.

For the frying pan, I used this: http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/catalog/products/50292100/
And the sauce pan. I recommend this: http://www.ikea.com/sg/en/catalog/products/30256749/

Besides the pots and pans, a good all purpose knife (Santoku or 6-inch Chef's Knife) and a sturdy chopping board will make all the prep work much easier. For the board, the plastic IKEA ones work well. For the knives, check out KAI at the major departmental stores. KAI is a manufacturer for the professional knives used in commercial kitchen. They have very good steel and can retain sharpness for a long time. Highly recommended!

Want something more fancy? If you are not lazy to go the extra mile to make perfectly cooked meals, and if you can afford it, a sous vide circulator will take up little space in the already small room that you have. I am using the Anova, which is retailing for US$199. On top of that, I use a 20l food grade plastic tank, which was sold for about SGD25 from Temple Street in Chinatown. But, this is on top of the knives, pots and pans mentioned above. So, it's something additional and I'd only recommend it if you can see yourself using it at least once every two weeks, and continue using it after graduation. It costs a lot, so weigh it out carefully.  

2. Invest in a small fridge
Almost always, you'll only have time to shop for groceries over the weekend. Besides, the common fridge in the pantry usually smells, and you run the risk of having your items stolen by other residents. To prevent all those, spend a couple of hundred dollars for a fridge to put in your room. The one time cost is high, but think of spreading it over 4 years. It's actually not a lot to pay, and you can have the convenience of storing properly packed meats, vegs, juices and milk right in your room. 

3. Simple recipes can taste great too
One of the easiest things to cook with the limited resources in college is (trust me) steak and mash. You do not need much, but a good cut of meat, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a frying pan. But you get my point, you do not have to go all out to prepare complex dishes that requires baking (you can't bake in college!), too many ingredients and too many steps. Remember, the simpler the recipe, the faster you can prep and enjoy your food. Thus, some of the most convenient and easiest thing to prepare is a portion protein (fish, chicken, pork or beef), salad, and carbs (instant mash is easy, or instant rice that you can just heat up in the microwave oven).