My husband David cooked this perfect piece of salmon on a delicious bed of mash.
Preheat the oven and warm the plates. For the mash, dice an onion and finely dice 2 cloves of garlic. Fry them gently in some olive oil until soft and translucent then set aside. Steam potatoes, pumpkin and sweet potato (more potato than the others) until soft. Mash them with butter, ground black and white pepper and salt then stir through the onion and garlic mix. Keep warm in the oven. Heat oil and butter in a pan until hot but not smoking. Season the fish with salt and pepper and pan-fry with the skin side down. After 3-3½ minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillet) add a splash of white wine and turn the fish, cooking for another 3-3½ minutes. In these last few minutes of cooking prepare the plates with some mash on each and when the fish is cooked lay it on the mash skin-side down. Keep warm in the oven. Using the same pan, add a little more oil, some diced tomatoes, sliced spring onions and fresh thyme. Cook until just softening then add a splash of white wine. Top each piece of fish with some of this mixture. Serve with a fresh green salad.
michelle picker cooks 