Flash-fried salmon and watercress salad

amara West

Thai flavours make a light dinner fresh and zingy.

Dressing

1	Green chilli, long, sliced
2 tsp	Caster sugar
2 Tbsp	Fish sauce
¼ cup	Fresh lime juice

Ingredients

1 fillet	Salmon, 250g, skin left on, bones removed using tweezers (Main)
2 Tbsp	Fish sauce
1	Pear, small, unripe, very hard, halved, cored and cut in thin batons
1	Red shallot, thinly sliced
½	Limes, juiced
2 cups	Watercress (Main)
¼ cup	Mint leaves
¼ cup	Coriander
¼ cup	Peanuts, roasted at 180C for 10 minutes until golden
¾ cup	Rice bran oil, for frying

Directions

1. Stir dressing ingredients together until sugar dissolves.
2. Place salmon in a china or glass dish with fish sauce. Turn once or twice to coat, and set aside for 20 minutes. (Fish sauce helps salmon caramelise when cooked.)
3. Toss pear and shallot with lime juice in a salad bowl. Pile watercress and herbs on top.
4. Crush peanuts slightly using a mortar and pestle.
5. Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Once the tip of a wooden chopstick bubbles when dipped in the oil, use a slotted spoon to carefully lower the salmon into the oil. Let it cook for a minute or 2 before carefully turning it over. After another minute of cooking, remove to a plate covered with layers of kitchen paper.
6. Pour most of the dressing over salad and toss to combine. Break salmon into large chunks, discarding skin, and add to salad. Spoon remaining dressing over salmon. Sprinkle peanuts on top.