Pan Fried Salmon with Warm Samphire and Tomato Salad, a Salmon Scotch Egg and Dill and Caper Mayonnaise

I have always thought I have a relatively healthy ethos when it comes to food; I will always get my 5 a day, often try alternative options to frying and will avoid ready meals and processed food like the plague, but this was one occasion that I longed for a deep fat fryer. I love scotch eggs, and think they are especially good if still slightly gooey in the middle, however I think the gooeyness is near to impossibly when baking scotch eggs, as they need to be cooked for so long that the egg totally cooked. I therefore thing I may have to convert to the fryer club, just to be able to broaden my cooking techniques.

Hard centre scotch egg aside, this was a pretty special meal. It is the first time I have eaten samphire and I can honestly say that I have been missing out for 26 years. It is absolutely scrumptious and is very much in season right now, so should be easy to find in the supermarket. Sam also commented that this meal was one of my very best, and he eats my food daily! The flavour combination works really well, and even though the scotch egg kinda looks a little out of place (small quails eggs may have been better), all together it is a huge flavour explosion.

Serves 2

For the Salmon Scotch Egg

–          100g potato – peeled, sliced and cooked in boiling salty water for 12-15 minutes until cooked

–          100g salmon – finely chopped

–          Juice and zest of 1 lemon

–          1 tbsp fresh dill – finely chopped

–          Salt and pepper

–          2 medium eggs – boiled for 5 minutes

–          40g plain flour

–          1 egg – beaten

–          25g polenta

–          45g breadcrumbs

For the dill and caper mayonnaise

–          Juice ½ lemon

–          ½ tbsp. parsley

–          ½ tbsp. dill

–          ½ tbsp. capers

–          2 tbsp. mayonnaise

For the salmon and warm salad

–          2 salmon fillets

–          Splash olive oil

–          Salt and pepper

–          10 cherry tomatoes – halved

–          20g butter

–          Juice ½ lemon

–          90g samphire

Preheat the oven to 180’C

To make the scotch eggs mash together the potato, salmon, lemon juice and zest, dill and a good twist of salt and pepper.

Lay out a piece of cling film and place half the salmon mixture onto it, spreading it out so it’s about 3-4mm thick. Place the egg on the salmon mix and bring up the sides of the cling film to wrap the salmon mixture around it. Gently mould the mixture over the egg, patting and smoothing it out until the egg is evenly covered, and then remove the cling film

Set up three plates; one with the flour, one the beaten egg and the finely mix together the breadcrumbs and polenta

Roll each egg first in the flour, then the egg and finely the breadcrumbs.

Place the eggs on a baking tray, roll in some olive oil and then continue to bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. If you are using a deep fat fryer to cook these they should take no more than 5 minutes.

Make the mayonnaise by simply combining the ingredients and chilling until needed. Add a little more lemon juice or fresh black pepper to taste

In the meantime, heat a frying pan to a high temperature and add a splash of olive oil before frying the salmon, skin side down for 2-3 minutes.

Turn the salmon, add the tomatoes, butter and lemon juice and continue to cook the salmon for another 1-2 minutes until cooked through.

Remove the salmon and set aside to rest; during which time, add the samphire to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Plate up all the ingredients and enjoy 😀