Crisp salmon with mint and pickled watermelon rind salad

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (about 100gm each)
• 250 ml light soy sauce (1 cup)
• For deep-frying: vegetable oil
• 300 gm watermelon, cut into wedges
• 1 cup each mint leaves and coriander leaves (firmly packed)
• 50 gm beans sprouts (about 1/2 cup)
• 10 gm ginger, cut into julienne (2cm piece)
• 4 red shallots, thinly sliced on a mandolin
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthways on a mandolin
• 2 long red chillies, thinly sliced
• Pickled watermelon rind
• 125 ml coconut vinegar (see note) (1/2 cup)
• 80 gm white sugar
• 2 cinnamon quills
• 60 gm watermelon rind, thinly shaved on a mandolin
• Green chilli nahm prik
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 red shallot, coarsely chopped
• 1 long green chilli, coarsely chopped
• 40 gm light palm sugar, or to taste, crushed
• 60 ml fish sauce, or to taste (1/4 cup)
• 60 ml lime juice, or to taste (1/4 cup)

Instructions

1. 1

   1.: Place salmon in a non-reactive container large enough to fit fish snugly. Pour over soy, season to taste with freshly ground white pepper and refrigerate to marinate (1 hour).

2. 2

   2.: Meanwhile, for pickled watermelon rind, bring vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt to the boil in a saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until liquid reduces slightly (5-7 minutes). Add watermelon rind and simmer until rind softens (5-7 minutes), then set aside to cool in liquid. Watermelon rind will will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 weeks.

3. 3

   3.: Meanwhile, for green chilli nahm prik, preheat oven to 200C. Roast garlic, shallot and chilli on an oven tray lined with baking paper until golden (5-7 minutes). Cool slightly, then pound in a mortar and pestle to a smooth paste. Add palm sugar, pound to break up sugar, then add fish sauce and lime juice, stir to combine (adjust seasoning to taste; dressing should be sweet, salty, hot and sour) and set aside.

4. 4

   4.: Preheat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan to 180C. Pat salmon dry with absorbent paper, then deep-fry, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp (2-3 minutes; be careful as hot oil will spit), remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper, then coarsely flake.

5. 5

   5.: Drain watermelon rind (discard liquid) and combine with remaining ingredients and salmon in a bowl, drizzle over green chilli nahm prik, toss to combine and serve.