Today's Catch - Sensational Salmon.

Hi everyone - We are back from New Zealand and so impressed by the fantastic food that we ate while we were. You know how much I love seafood and I have to say it was pretty much a seafood - fest! I have been told that seafood that comes from colder water has a better flavour - don't know if that is actually true - but the best seafood I have eaten this year has been from the waters around Scotland and New Zealand. There could be something in it? I am preparing a run down of my favourite NZ food experiences to share with you all, so stay tuned for that. Is it wrong that most of the photos I took when I was away were of food?

So, staying on the seafood theme, today's recipe uses fresh salmon fillets, with clean flavours and an elegant presentation that would suit a dinner party. I took the salmon fillets, fresh herbs, a handful of gorgeous green pistachio nuts and a pink grapefruit from the fruit bowl to create this tasty dish that is a breeze to make and a delight to eat. I used quite large fillets, but you could use small ones and have this as a lovely light entree. Just remember to reduce the cooking time if you choose the mini option.

I love citrus with seafood, and the pink grapefruit gives just the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, as well as that lovely blush of colour. You don't even need a complicated dressing for this salad - I just used a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper. The juice from the grapefruit and the oil is all that is needed. For the accompaniment, I used a tangy continental yoghurt as the base for a creamy sauce that has a little kick of horseradish to compliment the richness of the salmon. This sauce also works well with simply grilled chicken or other seafood, so give it a try. My recipe today serves two.

Pistachio and Poppyseed Crusted Salmon

with Parsley and Grapefruit Salad

And Horseradish Yoghurt sauce.

You will need:
For the salmon - 2 salmon fillets, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons water, 2 tablespoons plain flour, 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon pistachio nuts (unsalted and unshelled), salt and pepper, vegetable oil for shallow frying.

For the salad - 1 cup continental parsley leaves, 1/3 spanish (red) onion finely sliced, 2 tablespoons finely sliced red pepper/capsicum, Flesh of 1 pink grapefruit - be sure to remove all of the white pith. a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

For the sauce - 1/2 cup natural yoghurt (I use the thick continental kind), 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon horseradish cream.

Method: First pin bone the salmon fillets, being sure that you remove all of the bones. Bones in your fish is a particularly bad look! A pair of tweezers is best for this.

Whisk together the eggs and water. Set aside. In a bowl or old plastic bag, combine the flour, cayenne and a few generous pinches of salt. Set aside.

In a food processor (or mortar and pestle), crush the pistachio nuts until they are quite fine. Combine these with the breadcrumbs and poppyseeds and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.

Dust the salmon with the seasoned flour, then the egg mix, then the crumb mixture. Put them in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

To make the salad, just gently combine the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well.

To cook the fish, heat a pan with a shallow layer of oil and cook each side until golden. This will not take long because of the natural oils in the nuts. Transfer to fish to a baking tray and cook in a moderate oven for 5-8 minutes depending on the size of the fillets.

Allow the fish to rest for a few minutes before slicing diagonally for presentation. Serve the fish with the salad and a spoonful of sauce.

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