The most pleasing vegetable (and a Saturday night recipe)

I have shared this with my kids, who thought it an unusual confession.  Now for the world:

I find cooking sliced leeks in butter on the stovetop a fantastically pleasing experience. It's the combination of the bright and cheerful green/white colour with the gentle smell of onion that doesn't overpower the kitchen the way onions can.  I can't think of any other vegetable which gives the same aesthetic pleasure in its combination of sight and smell.

I know - doing garlic (especially with some chilli flakes) in a pan with olive oil can be pretty intensely pleasing too, from an olfactory point of view.  I even love the smell of virgin olive oil heating up by itself.  But you don't get any substantial aesthetic pleasure from the colour.  (Yes, I know, some olive oils have a nice colour - but it's not the same cheerful palate as leeks.)

Anyway, now that that's out of the way, I was very pleased with the result of more-or-less following this recipe last night:

Seared salmon with mashed potato and leeks

The ingredient list I modified a little, so I will write my version that worked well:

*  Enough potato for a generous serving of mash for four
*  One large leek (you want to get at least a cup when its sliced)
*  Butter (and a bit of olive oil)
*  Corn, fresh, sliced off the cob (I used one big cob's worth for 3 people last night - yes, I had left over potato - but I would say you probably want a cup and a bit for 4)
*  small amount of garlic (minced out of a jar is ok)
*   baby rocket (a couple of cups)
*  skin on salmon pieces

The great thing about mashed potato is the way they reheat so well in the microwave.   I did this yesterday - did the mash after lunch, went to a movie, came home and the rest of the cooking was very quick.


So:   make your mashed potatoes the way you like, but while the potatoes are cooking, cook the sliced leeks in a couple of tablespoons of butter (perhaps more, because I use a substantial amount of butter in mashed potato anyway.)   Mix the leeks into the mash and there you have it - mashed potato with a sweeter, more intense flavour than the blander variety.  Just plain mash with salmon is a bit dull, I think.

Cook the salmon fillets with some butter and a little olive oil.   Take them out,   perhaps drain off some of the butter/oil, put in the corn kernels and garlic, with a little bit more butter if you want, and they soften with a few minutes.  While waiting, mash on plate, salmon on top.  Throw rocket in with the corn, just to wilt them (only takes a minute), add a bit of salt, and onto the salmon and mash.

I still served a lemon wedge with the salmon.   I think its often a bit tricky finding the right side vegetables with pan fried salmon, as you want some moisture somewhere, and I can't be bothered doing a sauce.  This worked well.

You can thank me later.