You might find it odd coming from a food blogger, but although I love cooking and eating, I’m not always keen on hosting dinner parties. The idea is lovely and I enjoy the social side, yet in practice I often feel a little stressed. Before guests arrive there’s menu planning, shopping and preparing at least two courses. Then you have to welcome people, serve drinks and be a good host while getting the food on the table. Trying to chat as I cook makes me flustered; normally I’m a capable multitasker, but put a recipe and guests in front of me and I start to panic.
While sharing an apartment in Greece with a close friend — who was almost as easily flapped as I am — we stumbled upon a go-to recipe that made entertaining much easier. It was simple, impressive and reliable. This maple teriyaki salmon with soba noodles is very similar to that dish. You’ll need two quality salmon fillets, fresh ginger and garlic, one fresh chili, soy sauce, maple syrup, mirin (Japanese rice wine), sesame oil, lime juice, coriander and soba noodles.
This is the kind of dish that looks like you’ve spent ages on it, but once the ginger, garlic and chili are chopped, it comes together in minutes. It’s fairly foolproof as long as you avoid overcooking the salmon — follow the suggested pan time and you’ll be fine.
It’s an ideal mid-week meal not just for its ease but for the flavour: sweet from the maple syrup, zingy from the ginger, garlic and chili, classic umami from the soy, nutty from sesame oil and bright with lime. The profile is clean and straightforward, with enough punch to make you come back to it again and again.
And the soba noodles deserve a shout-out. These brown, spaghetti-like noodles are made from buckwheat, giving them a pleasant nutty bite. They’re easy to digest and often gluten-free — check packaging if that’s important for you. They’re a healthy, satisfying base for the salmon, so go ahead and eat more soba.
The only small challenge is timing everything so the sauce, noodles and salmon finish together. The first time I found that tricky, but the second time I had it down. Start the sauce, the noodles and the salmon at roughly the same time and you can leave the salmon in the sauce off the heat for a few minutes while you plate up.
To help you stay calmer when you entertain, here are a few simple tips:
1 Choose simple dishes: One-pot, slow-cooker or make-ahead recipes reduce last-minute fuss. This salmon isn’t one-pot, but it’s quick enough to forgive.
2 Make a little extra: Cook more than you think you need so an unexpected guest or a hungry friend won’t derail the evening.
3 Prep in advance: Chop vegetables, prepare desserts and set the table a day or two ahead.
4 Take shortcuts: Use store-bought pastry or buy a few high-quality sweets if it saves time. Not everything must be homemade.
5 Delegate: Ask friends to help with small tasks like slicing a lemon, serving drinks or whisking a dressing. Let someone else manage a simple job so you can focus on hosting.
6 Relax: The most important tip is to stay calm and enjoy the evening. Small mishaps happen — a slightly sunken cake or a longer wait for the main course won’t ruin the night. If a guest minds, they don’t need an invitation next time.
Next time I have guests I plan to appear composed and composed — well, at least that’s the plan.
Maple teriyaki salmon with soba noodles
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Ingredients
- vegetable or olive oil, for cooking
- 1 x 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced or grated
- 1 large clove garlic, finely sliced or crushed
- 1 small chili, very finely sliced
- 2 fresh salmon fillets
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon mirin, Japanese rice wine
- 1 lime
- 5 ounces soba noodles
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- a handful of fresh coriander, chopped
To serve on the side (optional)
- asparagus or green beans
Instructions
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Bring a pan of water to the boil for the noodles.
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Heat a little oil in a wok or deep frying pan and lightly fry the ginger, garlic and chili for a couple of minutes. Add the soy sauce, maple syrup, mirin and the juice from half the lime. Allow the sauce to bubble and reduce slightly.
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Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a griddle or frying pan and pan-fry the salmon for 2–3 minutes each side, or until just cooked through.
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While the salmon cooks, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions — they usually take only a few minutes.
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Add the cooked salmon to the pan with the sauce and spoon some of the sauce and aromatics over the fillets. Remove from the heat and set aside briefly while you finish the noodles and plates.
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Drain the noodles, return them to the pan and stir in the sesame oil and most of the chopped coriander.
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Divide the noodles between two bowls, place a salmon fillet on top of each and drizzle over the remaining sauce. Squeeze over more lime to taste and garnish with the remaining coriander. Serve immediately with asparagus or green beans if you like.
Nutrition
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