Cream is an ingredient that I have a tendency to keep away from when cooking. Okay, I have to make it clear that I say "when cooking," as cream used in a dessert will always get the thumbs up. It's partly due to the fact it is a greasy ingredient and it is viewed a bit 80's and indeed, pasta with cream and salmon is an 80's dish. However, it's not that everything about those roaring years to be considered thrown away.
On the contrary, I invite you to try this recipe for an excellent ride into the past. After all, I lived through those years and every now and then I like to time warp my mind and reminisce on what a wonderful decade it was. In these moments I see myself as a infant interested in cartoons that, even from time to time with their crudeness, have taught our generation something about life.
TV films that have remained in the collective imagination, music that
has changed the vision of the world, fashion that has forever
revolutionized the way we dress. I remember those years with nostalgia because everything seemed easier and the
world seemed less complicated with a clear difference between good and
bad. Pasta with cream and salmon is a part of these memories so I
decided to share it with you.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
drizzle of olive oil
2 salmon fillets, skin removed
150g dried pasta of your choice
175g broad beans
5 tbsp creme fraiche
zest and juice 1⁄2 lemon
small bunch of fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
Instructions:
1. Generously season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Put the oil
and butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, swirling around
the pan until melted and foaming, then turn up the heat. Once the
butter starts bubbling, add the salmon fillets to the pan,
skin-side-down, and fry for 3 mins until crisp. Flip the fillets over,
lower the heat and cook for 2 mins more, then drizzle with the lemon
juice.
2. Transfer the salmon to a plate and baste with any of the buttery
juices left in the pan. Chop the fillets into bite size pieces.
3. Meanwhile, boil the pasta following packet instructions, adding the broad beans 2 minutes before the end of cooking. Once the beans and
pasta are just tender, reserve a cup of the cooking water, then drain.
4. Remove the salmon from the tin, then add the creme fraiche, 3 tbsp
of the cooking water, the lemon zest and juice, and tarragon. Season to
taste and toss until the pasta is covered with creamy sauce and serve.
