Alaskan Salmon cooking class at Recipease

Following on from the super-popular Alaskan Seafood pop up over in Pimlico last week, Erica and I were invited for an evening cookery class at Jamie Oliver's Recipease over in Notting Hill. It also turns out Manasi from inher30s was there, which, if Erica and I weren't too busy nattering about blogging and interviews and speaking to Australians, it would have been lovely to have met her. Sorry Manasi!

Recipease is situated a two minute walk from Notting Hill Gate, with bright neon lights showing the way. Called a food and kitchen shop I suppose the name is quite eponymous. We were seated on the top floor, in the middle of which is a kitchen prep area and little work stations for about 12 people to comfortably wield knives and sprinkle fennel pollen without banging elbows. Ordinarily the place puts on cooking classes ranging from Mexican street food to knife skills, all held in a country kitchen style venue.

The class started with canapés (too late to partake) and a much needed glass of white after battling rush hour tube. Jose Suoto, fellow kinda-Peterborian and the chef for the night, introduced himself and the reason why we were there. Seafood's god a bad rap recently. From polluting the oceans to overfishing, it's no secret humans done bad. But with thousands of lakes and waterways in Alaska, it's possible to source fish in a really sustainable and ethical way. As someone who loved a good bit of barbecued fish, it's good to know they has this in hand.

After the brief, Jose showed us the difference between smoked fish, cooked and uncooked. And then we were put to task, making a salmon tartare with balsamic glaze and topped with caviar, followed by super simple baked wild Alaska salmon with fennel and lemon.

It's at this point we give a massive thanks to Antonia, who was there to cheer Erica and I on. Even though our cooking skills were something to be truly ashamed of considering we used the wrong knives to skin the fish and then chopped lemon on the meat chopping board. It was all kinds of health and safety gone wrong but she was brilliant.

The fish was prepped and placed in the oven while we diced and sliced up the salmon tartare with a balsamic glaze and little plate embellishments. I think we actually did quite a good job. When we sat down at the table to eat and chat, the food was wolfed down.

It was a really great night, and it's good to be able to prepare and cook a meal from scratch, and so easily. So, with the warmer weather rolling in, I'll have no excuse not to fire up the grill now.

Thanks to Jose, Antonia and the guys and girls at Alaskan Seafood for having us!



Baked or BBQ wild Alaska salmon with wild fennel pollen, chives, virgin olive oil and lemon

4 portions

Ingredients:

1 side wild Alaska salmon
Wild American fennel pollen
Chives, chopped
40ml virgin olive oil
1 lemon

Method:

1) Descale salmon
2) Place salmon on tray skin side down and sprinkle with fennel pollen
3) Take a sheet of foil and lay shiny side up
4) Add a little olive oil and place the salmon onto the foil
5) Season salmon, add chopped chives and lay a line of thinly sliced lemon on top
6) Bring sides of foil up to meet in the middle and fold up ends
7) Place fish onto BBQ or in oven for 8 to 10 minutes
8) Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving

Delish!