"Bridget, this baby situation threw me initially. We squashed an entire relationship into one night and skipped straight to the starting a family phase. We never even had a real second date, but just so you know I would have taken you to Ottolenghi’s, an amazing place in Notting Hill. You would have had the grilled salmon and pine nut salsa. It’s unbelievable AND healthy." Jack in Bridget Jones' s Baby
In the movie, Bridget Jones' Baby, Jack tells Bridget that he would have taken her to Ottolenghi's restaurant for their second date, and that she would have ordered the grilled salmon and pine nut salsa. That dish did not exist on Ottolenghi's menu, but to fill the gap, Ottolenghi developed a recipe for this dish for his cookbook, Ottolenghi Simple.
I have Ottolenghi Simple, and I am also a Bridget Jones fan, so I had to make this salmon dish for myself. And I am glad that I did. It is tasty, with a mix of sweet (from currants) and savoury flavours.
If you fancy bringing a little movie magic into your life by making this dish, you will need:
100g currants
4 salmon fillets, skin on
100ml olive oil
4 celery sticks cut into 1 cm dice
30g pine nuts, roughly chopped
40g capers + 2 tablespoons of their brine
40g large green olives cut into 1cm dice
a pinch of saffron mixed with a tablespoon of hot water
20g parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper
Cover the currants with boiling water and soak for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, mix the salmon with 2 teaspooons olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Put 75ml olive oil into a large frying pan over high heat. Add the celery and pine nuts and fry for 4-5 minutes. Once the nuts have browned, remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the capers, the brine, the saffron in its water, the olives and a pinch of salt. Drain the currants, then add them, the parsley, the lemon juice and lemon zest to the mixture. Stir through, then set aside.
Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a fry pan, and once hot, add the salmon, skin side down, and fry for 3 minutes or until the skin is crisp. Flip the salmon and cook for another 2-4 minutes, dpeending on how you like your salmon. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Place each of the salmon filets onto a plate, and spoon over the salsa.
Enjoy!
2 comments:
Love the story behind this dish - I am a bridget jones fan and an ottolenghi fan (but surprised at the people I mention him to who have never heard of him)
I am a Bridget Jones fan too. I just assume people have heard of famous chefs/cooks too, but clearly not everyone is into them!
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