Vaguely Thai-ish Salmon and Rice

This dish owes much of its inspiration to Delia’s Summer Collection.  Limes and coriander remind me so much of summer, and of one particularly golden summer – 1994; which I have just realised was all of twenty years ago!  Back then, I was still living in my first home, and the previous autumn we had had my dream kitchen installed, all limed oak and the palest of pink painted walls.  That summer lives on in my memory as one long golden, sunny summer of parties and entertaining!  I’m sure we had our fair share of rain (in fact, I’d be staggered if we didn’t!), but I don’t remember any!  In those days fresh limes and coriander were impossible to get hold of in the small town that was my home then, I used to have to buy them in Cardiff.  How much has changed in the intervening years!

I digress too much!  We’re enjoying quite a sunny spring here at the moment, which had me leafing through my Delia Summer Collection, and set me to thinking about fresh limes and coriander.  I had hot smoked salmon fillets in the freezer and the rest just came together, in the way that only an addled middle aged brain can join dots sometimes!  Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

For two of us I used :

2 hot smoked salmon fillets (any cooked salmon would do)

1 cup of basmati rice

1 lime

1 lemongrass stalk

1 bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro)

Pare the lime zest in thick strips and bend/snap the lemongrass stalk in two.  Add both to a saucepan with the rice and cook.

While the rice is cooking, wash and chop the coriander and flake the salmon roughly (not too small because it will break up further when you combine it with the rice).

Drain the rice, remove the lime zest and the lemongrass – this is easier done using two forks, easier still if you use a muslin bag!  Rinse the rice with boiling water, drain again and then return to the saucepan.

Add the flaked salmon, the chopped coriander and the juice of the lime.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.