Salmon with Coriander Noodles and Coconut Sauce

Preparation

1. Place the salmon fillets skin side up and score the skin with six lines half a cm apart with a sharp knife.
2. Season and rub with oil.
3. For the noodles, sift the flour and mix in the rest of the ingredients with your hands.
4. Form the dough into a ball and knead until smooth and elastic.
5. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
6. After resting, roll through a pasta machine until it is as thin as you can get it (1mm), flour well and fold over until it is all folded onto itself.
7. Slice finely with a sharp knife.
8. Sprinkle with flour and then fluff them into a loose ball.
9. Place in a pot of boiling salted water for about three to four minutes until al dente, when cooked immediately place in iced water.
10. Once cooled, drain and set aside.
11. For the sauce, place 400ml of coconut milk in a heavy based stainless saucepan over a moderate heat, simmer until the coconut solids start to caramelise and the oil separates and comes to the surface.
12. This will take about 10 minutes.
13. While you are waiting for it to split place the chillies, ginger, garlic, turmeric, shallots, coriander roots and lemongrass in a mortar and pestle and pound until everything is well bruised. (You can use a food processor of blender if you don’t have a mortar and pestle.)
14. Once the milk has split add the paste and fry gently, stirring frequently, until it becomes fragrant and aromatic, three to four minutes, next add the brown mustard seeds and coriander seeds, fry for another minute or so.
15. Add the palm sugar, coconut milk and lime leaves.
16. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes stirring frequently.
17. Once it has cooked add the fish sauce to season and strain through a fine chinois. Keep warm.
18. To make the achar, heat the oil in a heavy based pan, add the garlic, ginger and chillies and fry well, add the cucumber and fry for two minutes then add the dry spices.
19. Fry for another two minutes and then add the sugar and vinegar and cook till the liquid is syrupy.
20. Place in the fridge to cool.
21. Heat oil in a heavy based sauté pan to a high heat and place the salmon in skin side down and sauté for two to three minutes. Be careful not to burn the skin.
22. Place in a 240° Celsius oven for five to six minutes until the middle is set but still medium rare to medium.
23. While the salmon is cooking heat wok until the oil is smoking and put in the noodles and stir constantly for two minutes.
24. Add the spring onions and snow peas, then add the coriander and salt and pepper.

To Serve

1. With a fork twist the noodles into a tight ball and place in the middle of a wide pasta bowl.
2. Ladle some of the sauce around to cover the bottom of the bowl.
3. Place the salmon skin side up and then place a small amount of the acra on top.