Salmon and Asparagus Noodles

I am not a fan of the January body-shaming and guilt dieting because nothing good comes from making people feel bad about their bodies. The food we consumed over Christmas was part of our celebrations to honour family/religion/tradition and we don’t do it week in week out so I’m not going to demonise something so special. I do however, like to eat in balance so as I eat more meat and cheese in December I like to eat more veg and broths in January to balance out the celebratory richness of Christmas.

I love broth dishes for very good reasons. Consuming hot liquid releases endorphins which support our sense of achievement; essential for women with PND. Chicken broth is also a source of selenium which is a powerful antioxidant that also supports good mental health. This recipe delivers all this power as well as some crispy salmon skin for good measure.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 Adults & 2 Kids
500-600g salmon
50g unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
250ml chicken or vegetable stock
60ml dark soy sauce
2 tsp prepared ginger
1 garlic clove
250g fine asparagus spears
spring onion to garnish
250g rice noodles

• Descale the salmon by dragging a knife against the grain of the scales so that they come away. I keep a piece of kitchen roll next to the chopping board to wipe the scales off my knife.
• Cut the salmon into portions and salt the descaled skin. Put the butter and oil into a large skillet on a medium high heat. When the butter is foaming put the fish in the pan, skin-side-down and DO NOT MOVE IT.
• Cook until you can see that the flesh is cooked 1cm above the skin. Turn over the fillets (the skin should be crisp and have a golden colour) and TURN OFF THE HEAT under the pan. Leave the fillets in there for 2 minutes then remove from the pan. The delicate flesh will cook in the residual heat of the pan.

• While the salmon is cooking put the stock and soy sauce into a medium skillet on a medium heat then add the ginger and grate in the garlic clove. Once the liquid is simmering (small bubbles appearing) put the asparagus in and put the lid on. Cook for 4-5 minutes depending on how soft you want the asparagus (I like mine with a bit of bite in them).
• Put the noodles into a large bowl and boil a kettle. Pour boiling water over the noodle until they’re covered then place a plate on top to trap the steam inside. They should be cooked in 3 minutes.
• Drain the noodles and dish up between the 4 bowls then pour over the broth and top with the asparagus and salmon. Add a dash of your favourite hot sauce if you want some kick and finish with some finely sliced spring onion.