Ask The Chef #8: What to Pair with Masterchef Recipe?

We have a fun Ask The Chef Question from a reader for you today!

Question

Image credit: Richard Gillin via Flickr

Hi there, i am going to attempt the salmon canneloni filled with creme fraiche I saw on Masterchef series 4 and would like some advice on what main dish goes best with this. Would prefer not do serve another fish dish as main. Many thanks in advance.

Answer

This dish sounds very interesting. But not having tasted the flavor elements and the end result it is rather hard to come up with a pairing.

Based on the ingredient list that we found on what we think is the recipe that you are referring to- it sounds very tangy with a pronounced herb flavor. I would maybe suggest a milder protein with perhaps a sweetness to it to counteract the pungency of the salmon. That way your meal is not too overwhelming with herbs, vinegar and sour flavors.

In my opinion, a good meal has a balance of sweetness, saltiness, sour and heat. Your salmon dish based on what I can gather satisfies the sour side and possibly saltiness. And if the onions are strong, you may get a little heat. So the only thing left is sweet.

We have a couple of dishes on our website that might give you some ideas. There is London Broil with a cranberry mushroom reduction. It is semi sweet and the earthly mellow flavors of the beef may compliment the tangy element of the salmon. (The redness that comes through in the photo of this recipe makes it look more rare than it actually is. You will see the reference in the instructions regarding the internal temperature you want to bring it to since it is intended to be served rare to medium rare.)

Then there is also a Peach and Sweet Tea Vodka Glazed Pork Tenderloin, which has the sweetness from the peaches but with just a little heat as well from the vodka.

We’ve gotten quite a bit of feedback from readers on this recipe. You can read that here if you would like.

Could you reply back and let us know if this is the MasterChef recipe you saw: Salmon 2 Ways

We also would love to know what you decided to go with and how it turned out!

Hope this helps-

The Chef

Response

Thank you so much for your quick response and also for taking the time to find the actual recipe I am planning to use. It is indeed the salmon two ways but I am not sure i want to use vinegar and sugar as it might just be too tart? Your comments would be appreciated. Before writing to you I was considering my main as a chicken breast stuffed with cranberry and camembert so I believe we are on the same page with respect to your ideas of cranberry mushroom reduction. Please could you comment on my idea as above for the main and send me a link to a recipe or your own please.

Answer

To reduce the level of tartness, you could try cutting the amount of vinegar and sugar in half so as not to completely alter the flavor of the dish but to reduce the tartness if you are concerned with it being too much.

Also, we do not have a recipe like the one you are thinking about. If you do not find anything through a general internet search, you may also wish to try Pinterest. The Lucky Wife finds a lot of recipe ideas there.

If you are not familiar with it, it is widely used by foodies for great recipes. We can send you an invitation if you are not already a user… I believe it is by invitation only (or it was when we first registered).

Thanks for your interest in our blog and for reaching out to us. We really enjoy hearing from readers. Have a great day!

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