Perfect grilled salmon recipe (SBS Food video recipe)

Salmon is one of the most popular species of fish in Australia at the moment, and there are so many different opinions on the best method of grilling. Follow the instructions below and you won’t be disappointed. Read more here.

Sushi & Sashimi

Before we start some serious sushi talk, look at these funny party costumes for babies :)

Via Craft Magazine

I think we'd better do what we are so good at...

LET'S SHARE OUR LOVE FOR FRESH SEAFOOD!

This time, we found some interesting facts about Sushi and Sashimi, very nicely written by Sally Oulton (All credits Seamedia.com.au):

First of all, many of you may wonder what the difference is between sushi and sashimi. Sushi is raw fish with rice. Sashimi is just sliced raw fish. Sushi is made with strips of fish served with vinegar-flavoured rice. It is either wrapped in sheets of nori (seaweed) with the rice, or the rice is pressed in a mould in your hand with the raw fish placed on top.

Sashimi is thinly sliced fish. It is traditionally served on its own as a Japanese entrée along with a glass of sake. Sashimi is a great way to enjoy the fish. The true essence of the fish comes through and with just a dab of soy sauce it enhances the flavour and is delicious. Salmon and tuna take well to being served this way. Both sushi and sashimi are made with other seafood as well, including eel, octopus, squid, clams, abalone, scallops, prawns, crab, salmon roe and sea urchin roe.

So what types of fish can you use? All types of fish can be prepared for sushi and sashimi. However the stronger-tasting oily fish are best. Tuna would be the most popular as it makes excellent sushi and sashimi. Salmon, wahoo, mackerel and coral trout are also delicious and together combined they make a colourful presentation.

Fish that you can try as sushi and sashimi include: sea bass, wahoo, garfish, coral trout, red

snapper, kingfish, mackerel, albacore, salmon, tuna and bonito to name a few. The tuna belly is the highest grade of tuna and fetches exorbitant prices at the Japanese fish markets.

SUSHI

Things you need to make sushi include a bamboo mat, nori sheets, sushi vinegar, wasabi, pickled ginger and sushi rice. It is getting the rice right that makes good sushi. The reason to use sushi rice (or short-grain rice) is that it has the right balance of starches to allow the rice to stick together and keep it intact. Simply follow the instructions on the package of sushi rice. It will explain how to cook it and then how much vinegar and sugar to sprinkle over it while it is warm.

Then you will need to assemble.

• Place the nori sheet shiny side down on your bamboo sushi mat.
• Position nori sheet about 2.5 cm from edge of mat closest to you, and leave some space on each side of nori sheet.
• Wet your hands and spread vinegared rice evenly over the nori sheet, leaving 3cm on far side uncovered.
• Take a dab of wasabi on your finger and wipe across the rice. See photo.
• Place strips of your fish over the wasabi. You can add any other fillings that you desire here too, such as strips of cucumber or avocado.
• Starting from the end with the fish lift the sushi mat and roll into a cylinder. Dampen the end of the nori and apply gentle pressure to join.
• Use your fingers to make sure roll is properly closed.
• Roll the entire roll once more, exerting gentle pressure.
• Wet knife and slice roll in half and cut twice to give six equal-sized pieces. Repeat with remaining nori and rice.

I enjoy my sushi with tuna, a little wasabi, some sliced avocado and toasted sesame seeds sprinkled throughout. Dip it into a little soy sauce, wasabi and put a little piece of picked ginger on top. If youʼre not sure about raw fish, try it with some cooked fish and experiment with other vegetables. And how about smoked salmon with some cream cheese?

SASHIMI

Remember it doesnʼt have to be perfect. You can make it any shape you want. The way you see it in restaurants is mainly for presentation. At home, who cares? Generally speaking, fish that can be cut into steaks are well suited for sashimi as they are easily cut into the rectangles people see as sashimi. When it comes to cutting your fish, there are several basic techniques you need to know.

When you fillet your fish look closely and remove any bones. If you have an oily fish such as tuna or mackerel, hold the knife at a 90- degree angle to the fish, and cleanly slice through. This is called the straight cut. If you have a less oily fish such as sea bass or snapper, turn your knife on a slight angle and slice it as smoked salmon is sliced. This is called the slant cut. Always cut the fish across the grain of the fish and cut your fish into thin slices – about 3mm thick.

Alternately, cut it into how thick you would like to eat it. Cutting across the grain ensures the resulting slice is tender and has an attractive crosscut grain pattern. Draw the blade across the fish in one long stroke to complete the slice. If you do not complete the slice in one stroke, lift the knife out of the cut and carefully repeat the slicing motion in the same direction. Avoid using a sawing motion as this could damage the fish. If you were one to indulge in this type of cuisine regularly I would invest in a sashimi knife that is long, thin and sharp as a razor. If you canʼt find a sashimi knife, try a boning or filleting knife. Before slicing, sharpen your knife on a whetstone or steel to ensure that you can slice your fish easily.

Arrange slices on a platter with grated white radish, some pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi. Wasabi is a hot green Japanese horseradish that gives you that lovely fiery rush through the nose and sometimes makes your eyes water if you have too much. So only try a little to begin with. Wasabi can be purchased as a tube of paste or in a powder form that you mix with a little

water.

I like to enjoy my sushi and sashimi with a little warm sake. So sit back relax and as they say in

Japanese ʻMeshi agare!ʼ

(All Sushi & Sashimi recipe credits Seamedia)

See you soon at our

Cappo Seafood Factory Direct Store,

now open from 8.30am (Mon - Fri).

Smoked Salmon Recipes

Yes, it's smoked salmon again. We found some really easy-to-follow recipes from Judy Davie. She loves using eggs in her recipes, check out her Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Omelette; and Smoked Salmon and Spinach Roulade....


Prominent nutrition writer and founder of The Food Coach, Judy Davie, shows us how to whip up a delicious and nutritious Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Omelette. This recipe contains over 11 essential vitamins and minerals.



If you're wrapped about wraps, why not try this Smoked Salmon and Spinach Roulade recipe, demonstrated by the Food Coach, Judy Davie. This recipe puts a new twist on the traditional wrap using an egg-white mixture instead of the traditional bread base.

Potato salad with smoked salmon and horseradish crème fraiche

Some nice reading found via JamieOliver.com 

 Looks like Jamie loves good quality Smoked Salmon as much as we do.
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I’ve always loved smoked salmon, ever since I was a little kid. As I grew up living above my parents’ pub, I could pretty much choose whatever I wanted for my packed lunch so I would ask Mum for extra smoked salmon sandwiches, saying that I was a growing boy. But instead of eating them myself I used to sell them to other kids at school. What a great son!

Anyway, this is a great little recipe – smoked salmon, potatoes and horseradish are best mates, so you can’t go wrong! There are two key things to remember, though. The first is that you must try to get hold of some good-quality smoked salmon. The second is that it’s best to dress your potatoes while they’re still warm, so they suck up all the lovely juices. Let them cool down in the dressing before adding any fresh herbs or they’ll wilt and lost their flavour.

Pick out the larger potatoes and halve them, making them roughly the same size as the smaller ones. Put all the potatoes into a pan of boiling salted water. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are just cooked, and drain in a colander.

Put the lemon zest and half the lemon juice into a bowl and add the vinegar. Normally, when making a dressing, I stick to one type of acid, but in this case using vinegar and lemon juice together gives the dish a lovely zinginess. Pour in three times as much olive oil as vinegar, and add the capers. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Mix everything well, then add the warm potatoes and toss around until they are all well coated.

Finely grate the horseradish into a bowl – be confident with the amount you use as you need the heat to go with the salmon and potatoes – and mix it into the crème fraîche with the remaining lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Sprinkle most of the dill or fennel over the cooked potatoes and toss again.

Lay your smoked salmon out on a big plate or platter. Don’t be too neat – I want you to make it look rustic! Just pinch it up here and there so that it looks wavy and pile the dressed potatoes on top. Dollop over the horseradish crème fraîche, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle over the rest of the dill or fennel. Served with a glass of wine and some nice bread, this makes a delicious lunch.


• from Jamie at Home

Ingredients:
• 600g new potatoes, washed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• a splash of red wine vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers, soaked and drained
• 1 x 3cm piece of fresh horseradish, peeled, or grated horseradish from a jar, to taste
• 150ml crème fraîche
a small bunch of fresh dill or fennel tops, roughly chopped
• 400g sliced smoked salmon

Some facts about Swordfish

As we recently had swordfish steaks on our 'Today's Market Special' board, we decided to research more facts about this amazing and tasty fish.

On to the cooking/eating.
Swordfish is made for the grill. Is is always sold as steaks, and the meat is so firm and, well, meaty, that many non-fish eaters will gladly eat sword. This texture also helps prevent the steaks from falling apart on the grill, a huge plus. A typical swordfish meal would be a simple olive oil-based marinade, then a time on the grill, then served simply with lemon, salt and herbs. Good sword needs nothing more than this.

Grilled Swordfish Steaks

Cook swordfish like you would a rare steak: Use high heat to sear the outside, and let it stay a little rare in the middle. I cook it about 5 minutes on one side, then 2-3 minutes on the other for an inch-thick steak. The uneven time gives you a great sear on one side (the side you serve facing up) while not overcooking the swordfish. Make sure to leave the skin on when you grill, but take it off to serve. The skin is rubbery, but helps keep the meat moist.

But sword is also a fantastic stewing fish because it won't dissolve. Use it for a fish chowder, or as a component in something like Cioppino or another fish stew, or slowly simmer it in tomato sauce.
Swordfish also makes a stellar 'tunafish' when you poach it slowly in olive oil, then flake it into a salad. It is deeply meaty this way, and will kick up a salad Nicoise or even a classic tuna salad.
Sword is generally not a great candidate for poaching or deep frying, although a quick saute or sear in a hot pan works well.

When choosing swordfish, look for the little strip of dark meat to be red, not brown. If it's brown, the meat is old. Tightly wrapped swordfish freezes well for about 3-4 months; beyond that goes downhill fast.

Article found via Fishcooking.about.com

Crispy-skinned HUON Salmon Fillet stuffed with SA King Prawn

Join North Restaurant Sato Kikuchi, as he introduces one of his signature dishes from the 2012 Autumn menu - Crispy-skinned Huon salmon fillet stuffed with SA king prawn.

The dish is available on the recently refreshed menu, which is current from 16 March - 15 June 2012.
Seafood proudly supplied by Cappo Seafood Parkside.

Discover the nutrition facts and health benefits of squid

NUTRITION FACTS AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF SQUID 

1.       Helps the body  absorb and utilize iron (copper)
Squid can provide the body with 90% of copper, a trace mineral which plays a role in the absorption, storage and metabolism of iron and the formation of red blood cells (RBC). Copper deficiency may show in the form of anemia.

2.        Lowers inflammation (selenium)

Studies have shown that individuals with rheumatoid arthritis have low selenium levels in their blood. In addition, selenium is also an antioxidant which may help relieve symptoms of arthritis by controlling free radicals. Squid contains 63% of selenium.

3.       Helps maintain healthy skin, muscles, hair and nails (protein)
Protein is one of the essential nutrients that the human body needs to keep it healthy. It has many health benefits, one of the most important is keeping the skin, muscles, hair and nails in top shape. Good sources of complete protein come from animals and that includes the squid.

4.       Helps ease migraine headaches (vitamin B2)

Squid are rich in vitamin B2 (riboflavin), a nutrient which several studies have shown lowers the frequency and duration of migraines. Although findings were preliminary, research data suggest that riboflavin supplementation may be a good addition to migraine prevention treatment.

5.        Builds bones and teeth (phosphorous)
Just like fish and shrimps, squid is also packed with the mineral phosphorus. Phosphorus aids calcium in building bones and teeth.

6.       Helps lower risk of heart disease (vitamin B12)

Squid are good sources of vitamin B12, one of the nutrients which have shown to lower homocystein levels in the body. Individuals with elevated homocystein levels have shown to have higher rates of stroke, heart attack and death from heart disease compared to those with normal levels.

7.       Helps stabilize blood sugar levels (vitamin B3)

Eating these marine cephalopods may helps stabilize sugar levels with the help of their supply of vitamin B3.

8.       Boost immune system (zinc)

Squid are good sources of zinc. Individuals who are deficient in zinc have shown to be susceptible to a range of infectious organisms.

9.       Relaxes nerves and muscles  (magnesium)

Squid is a good source of magnesium called the “smoothie mineral” because of its ability to relax nerves and muscles.

10.   Helps lower blood pressure levels (potassium)

Being a good source of potassium, squid helps regulate blood pressure levels.

In addition to the 10 nutrients mentioned above, squid also contains vitamin C, folate, calcium, iron and manganese.

These values were estimated for every 85g of cooked squid.
Source: Health Mad