Super Simple Salmon

I love salmon, but don't often eat it because of the cost. When I do I like to taste the salmon, I want it front and centre with the rest of the meal complimenting the flavour rather than overpowering it.

Below are two simple, quick and delicious salmon recipes that I've absolutely loved eating.

Watercress Salmon Pasta

Pan fried salmon with tagliatelle in a watercress sauce.

You will need:
400g tagliatelle
1 small onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic
150g watercress
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to season
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Pinch of smoked salt flakes
4 good sized salmon steaks (around 200g each)

Method:
1. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes less than the stated cooking time, drain the pasta, but retain the water in a bowl.
2. Add the onion, garlic, watercress, lemon juice, seasoning and 2-3 tbsp of the pasta water to a food processor and pulse until a paste is formed.
3. Add the watercress paste to the pasta, thoroughly stir through, place a lid on the pan, cook over a very low heat for 1 minute, remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Pre-heat the oil in a pan over a high heat, pat dry the salmon, season the flesh side liberally with the smoked salt and pepper, place in the pan skin side down and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes.
5. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the pasta water over the salmon, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove the frying pan from the heat and set aside to rest for 1-2 minutes.
7. Serve up the pasta into 4 bowls and place a salmon steak on top of each.

Creamy Salmon Pasta

Pan fried salmon with tagliatelle and spinach in a creamy sauce.

You will need:
400g tagliatelle
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 spring onions, sliced to a thickness of around 5mm
200g reduced fat soft cheese
400g spinach
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 good sized salmon steaks (around 200g each)
Pinch of smoked salt flakes
Salt and pepper to season

Method:
1. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes less than the stated cooking time, drain the pasta, but retain the water in a bowl.
2. Add the garlic, spring onion and 2 tbsp of the pasta water to the pasta, stir through, cover and cook over a very low heat for 1 minute.
3. Remove the pasta from the heat, stir through the soft cheese, if needed add in another tbsp of the pasta water, add the spinach to the pan, cover and set aside.
4. Pre-heat the oil in a pan over a high heat, pat dry the salmon, season the flesh side liberally with the smoked salt and pepper, place in the pan skin side down and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes.
5. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the pasta water over the salmon, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove the frying pan from the heat and set aside to rest for 1-2 minutes.
7. The spinach should have started to wilt from the residual heat in the pasta pan, season to taste and stir the wilted spinach through the pasta.
8. Serve up the pasta into 4 bowls and place a salmon steak on top of each.

With both of these dishes if you wanted to really boost those salty savoury flavours you could add in a few capers as you're stirring everything through the pasta or grate some parmesan cheese over the dish before serving.

Both recipes could also be made a little more budget friendly by swapping the fresh salmon for frozen prawns, or even tinned salmon, and stirring them through just a few minutes before serving.