Steamed Cabbage and Salmon Parcels

Steamed Cabbage and Salmon Parcels

With the Pot au Feu I had of course bought a nice head of my favourite green veined cabbage. But I still had quite a bit of the vegetable left over when the soup had been consumed and must find new purpose for its existence.

While flipping through Ken Hom's cookbook, I came across a salmon recipe using Chinese or Napa cabbage and served with a fusion butter sauce. I've cooked cabbage-wrapped white fish with a traditional soy-and-fish broth sauce before and found the idea of using butter quite interesting, so I've decided to adapt the recipe to suit myself.

It was quick, simple and delicious and both the Hub and Eldest Son loved it. I've also prepared half of the salmon steaks I had using my usual Pan-Grilled method with Teriyaki sauce and was happy that the skin was so nicely done that it was crispy and tasty while the flesh was still pink and juicy. Unfortunately I was distracted when steaming the Cabbage-wrapped Salmon Parcels and the fish turned out a tad over-cooked.

For 7-8 Parcels :

Green Veined Cabbage leaves (Chou vert frisé - my favourite)

reasonably thick Salmon Steaks (cleaned, deboned, skinned)

fresh Coriander Leaves

Salt and Pepper

small bowl of Fish Broth (if you do not have it fresh, use a msg-free Knorr Ikan Bilis cube)

40g Butter

half a Lemon or Lime

Cut away the hard white vein at the bottom of each cabbage leaf. Wash them and then blanche them quickly in boiling water (just so that they are soft enough to be folded). Remove and set aside.

Scoop out some of the cabbage water into a rice bowl and dissolve half an ikan bilis cube in it. Do not waste the rest of the water, use it to steam your salmon parcels with.

Add salt and pepper to the salmon steaks and just place a slice on a cabbage leaf (if not big enough use 2 leaves) with a bit of fresh coriander leaves. Wrap up the salmon tucking in the sides of the leaf as you go along. Place the parcels on a steaming dish and steam for 6-8 minutes over gently boiling water.

Recover the juice from the steamed salmon parcels and add it to the fish stock. Heat up the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the fish broth. Squeeze in the lime juice. Add salt and pepper and pour over the Cabbage and Salmon Parcels before serving them.