Chilli Ginger Salmon

Friday morning, the last day of the work week. Everyone anticipates for the weekend. Clearly, I was already drifting in my dreams. I was in the train to work as usual. Normally, I would get off at the right station and do that 20 minutes walk to the office but not this day. The iPhone kept me really busy communicating with the girls from the other side of the world. So, I missed my stop! Neither the girls or the phone was to be blamed, but it was the ballet I watched the night before that got me excited and still thinking about it the next morning.

Missed the stop and this is what I spotted! Beautiful morning dew stringed into tiny droplets on the spider web. Do you believe it was taken with the iPhone camera?

The first time inside the Royal Opera House Theatre

At the Paul Hamlyn Hall Bar during the break

That ballet was entitled Polyphonia / Sweet Violet / Carbon Life. They were three separate ballets by different choreographers. Each, unique on it's own but only one stood out!

Carbon Life was my favourite out of the three. It was choreographed by Wayne McGregor with music collaboration by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. It was a fantastic fusion of ballet, contemporary, futuristic pop, live music, fashion, great backdrop and lighting. The whole choreography was well put together; very inventive. Angular costumes by Gareth Pugh fitted well in the choreography. I liked the spiky tutus although I wasn't sure about te spiky boots.

The opening of Carbon Life was filled with suspense where dancers dance behind a thin, almost transparent screen, dressed in skin coloured body fitted costume. Spot lights that shone on them make them glow like dancing fireflies. There were spots of glowing light above the dancers that looked like some sort of floating spaceship. I would sum this scene up as futuristic heaven with glowing fairies dancing around in their birthday suits. Further into the choreography, the fairies in the wonderland moved into more energetic moves with power and precision yet with fluidity of movements.

Even the exterior looks romantic; the lights of the interior shining through the glass windows and the sparkly light hanging on the naked tree.

When you saw the title of this post, you must have wondered how ballet, spider web and salmon makes a dish. Hopefully pan-fried salmon with sugar snap peas did not disappoint you.

Pan-Fried Chilli Ginger Salmon with Sugar Snap Peas

makes 2

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of salmon
• 3 inch of ginger (grated)
• 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 chilli (chopped)
• 2 tbs premium light soy sauce
• 8 tbs water
• 100g sugar snap peas
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• coriander (optional)

Methods:

1.  Descale the salmon skin if that has not been done by the fishmonger.

2.  Clean and pat dry the salmon with kitchen towel.

3.  Wash the sugar snap peas and place in a bowl. Boil some water, enough to cover over the bowl of sugar snap peas.

4.  While waiting for the water to boil, chop the garlic and chilli finely and grate the ginger. Place them aside.

5.  When water is boiled, pour over the bowl of snap peas, making sure the water covers over them. Cover it with a plate.

6.  Heat the pan with oil in medium-high heat. Place the salmon skin side down. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 4 minutes until skin crispy. Turn it over and cook for another 3 minutes. Time of cooking varies depending on the thickness of fish and how cook you like them. The timing above will cook the salmon to how i like it, slightly pink.

7.  Use a thong to take the fish out of the pan and place on plate with kitchen towel to drain the oil.

8.  Use the oil (reduce it if necessary) and stir fry the garlic, chilli and ginger until fragrant.

9.  Add in the soy sauce and water. Let it boil and reduce to about half.

10.  Drain the snap peas, and toss with sesame oil.

11.  Place the salmon on a serving plate, along with the snap peas. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve with some coriander leaves on the side.