Crispy Salmon Poke Bowl with Shitake Mushrooms and Asian Dressing 

Serves 4  

Ingredients

• 4 small pieces of salmon (<200g) with skin on, scales removed 
• 1 avocado quartered, sliced and fanned  
• 1 cup of rice 
• 8 Shitake Mushrooms sliced 
• 1 tsp of soy sauce  
• 60g of roughly chopped peanuts 
• ½ cucumber finely sliced 
• ½ a pineapple prepared into pieces 
• 100g of snow peas roughly chopped 
• 1 cup of coriander leaves 
• Black sesame seeds to serve 
• 4 x Small handfuls of rice noodle crisps for serving (this can be achieved just by deep frying some rice noodles, otherwise these can be also purchased in a packet) 

Dressing Ingredients

• Juice of 1 lime 
• 2 tbls sesame oil 
• 2 tbls mirin 
• 1 tbls rice wine vinegar 
• 1 tbls coconut aminos 
• 1 tbls grated ginger 
• 1 finger length chilli finely chopped 
• ½ tsp of minced garlic 
• ½ tsp of salt 
• ½ tsp of sesame seeds 

Method

Prepare your salmon by removing scales. Patting the skin with paper towel and rubbing some salt into the skin. Leave to rest for 5 minutes to absorb the moisture. Pat dry the salmon with paper towel to remove excess moisture.  

Rice and the absorption method 

Wash rice well. Place rice in a saucepan, and add water to 2.5cm above the rice (this is the distance between the top of the rice and the first joint of an average adult finger). Bring to the boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, turn heat to low and cook for 13-15 minutes. Stand covered for 10 minutes, fluff up with a fork and serve. (In general, 1 cup of rice needs 1½ cups water.) 

While the rice is cooking, blend all of the dressing ingredients together and add the sesame seeds once served in a bowl.  

Also, prepare your nuts by toasting them in a frying pan, tossing frequently, be careful not to burn them. They will turn quickly making them bitter. 

Heat a large non stick frying pan with any oil medium to high heat (peanut oil or sesame oil works well) and place the salmon skin side down. Don’t be tempted to turn too early, it will stick until its ready to be turned. The skin will let go of the pan when its crispy. When you’re ready to turn the salmon onto its side, add a little more oil and add the mushrooms. Cook the salmon for just 2 minutes each side, no need to cook the top as the residual heat will cook it through enough. Remove to paper towel leaving the skin side up. Add the soy sauce and stir the mushrooms until cooked, remove to a plate.  

In a bowl toss together the pineapple, snow peas and coriander, set aside.  

Bring it all together over a bed of rice, adding each element into little pockets surrounding the salmon. Serve the dressing on the side. Dress with black and white sesame seeds and the crispy rice noodles.