Culinary adventures

Apart from knitting, crochet, weaving and occasional sewing, I have another passion.  I love cooking.  As a teenager living at home, I never bothered to learn to cook.  The most I could make was a cheese omelette, made with 2 eggs and 1 triangle of Laughing cow cheese.  Mmmmm - yum!

When I left home, many,many years ago to head off to University in a foreign land, I realised that I missed Malaysian food a lot.  Being a poor student, the only way to remedy that was to learn to cook.  Many expensive phone calls to Mum later, I learnt to cook.  I've not looked back since.  I love learning to make new dishes, cooking the same old family favourites, baking.... It does help that hubby and the children love to eat and they're adventurous.

Over the holidays, the children and I tried making cured salmon.  It was inspired by an episode of the Hairy Bikers cookery show.  After a little research on the interwebs, here's my recipe:

Gin cured salmon

500g side of salmon
5 tbsp of sea salt
5 tbsp of sugar
small bunch of dill
zest of 2 lemons
5 tbsp of gin

1 Pat the salmon dry and check for bones.

2. Place salmon on a sheet of clingfilm.

3.  Mix all the curing ingredients in a bowl.  Rub into both sides of the salmon.  Wrap the fish tightly in clingfilm.  Place in a shallow dish.  Weigh it down with something heavy.  I used a bottle of bubbly (which needed to be drunk with salmon!).  Leave it in the fridge for a night or two.

4.  When you're ready to serve, slice the salmon fillet into thin slices.  I served them on slices of crusty baguette, thinly sliced cooked beetroot and a dollop of creme fraiche.

I'm feeling hungry now....