CENTREPIECE SALMON WITH THAI BASIL AND BROWN BUTTER

SERVES 6-8

90g unsalted butter 10g dried wakame seaweed (from Asian food shops), roughly broken up into 2cm pieces 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 5 limes (finely grate the zest to get 2 tbs, squeeze to get 1/4 cup [60ml] juice, cut the rest into wedges, to serve) 20g ginger, peeled, roughly chopped 1/4 cup Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped, plus 12 whole leaves 21/ 2 tbs olive oil 1 (1.2kg) side of salmon (skin on), pin-boned, patted dry 80g baby red radishes or regular radishes, thinly sliced using a mandoline) 500g Jerusalem artichokes 600g small-medium white or yellow potatoes 3 long green shallots, green part only, thinly sliced

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, swirling, until it begins to foam, turn light brown, and smell nutty and caramelised. Remove from heat, stir in wakame and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

In a spice grinder, or mortar and pestle, blitz or pound the garlic, lime zest, ginger and 11/ 2 tsp salt flakes to a paste, scraping the sides down as you go. Add chopped basil leaves and blitz or pound until broken down into a bright green paste.

Strain the browned butter into a small bowl and set the now-crisp wakame aside on a plate lined with paper towel.

Add 1½ tbs of the garlic paste to the bowl with the butter and stir well. Add the remaining paste to a separate small bowl, stir in 1½ tbs olive oil and set aside.

Place salmon, skin-side down, on a large rimmed baking tray lined with baking paper. Rub with 1½ tsp salt flakes, then spoon butter mixture evenly over to cover. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour. Toss radishes together with ¼ tsp salt flakes and 1 tbs lime juice and set aside. Preheat oven to 230°C and position a rack in the top third of the oven. Fill a large bowl with water. Peel the artichokes, adding them to the water as you go to prevent discolouration. Cut them into 3cm chunks, then dry very well with a kitchen towel. Toss together with 1 tbs oil and ½ tsp salt flakes and spread out on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast artichokes for 20-22 minutes, tossing the vegetables and rotating the pans halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside to cool. Reduce the temperature to 180°C. Meanwhile, peel potatoes, add to a medium saucepan, cover with cold, well-salted water, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes until a knife goes all the way through, but they still hold their shape. Drain and cool for 5 minutes. Cut potatoes into 3.5cm chunks. Place potatoes and artichokes in a large bowl and set aside. Bake salmon for 15 minutes, then remove and baste well; it should be firm at the edges but still tender in the centre. Turn oven to the grill setting on the highest temperature and tear away any exposed baking paper around the salmon. Return salmon to oven and grill about 10cm from the heat for 4 minutes or until browned on top and cooked through but still a little pink inside. Cool for 5 minutes. Transfer salmon to a large platter, skin-side down, and spoon butter evenly over it. Add remaining 3 tbs lime juice to garlic paste and oil mixture, and stir well. Add to potatoes and artichokes and gently toss together. Toss in crispy wakame, pickled radish, Thai basil leaves and long green shallot and arrange the salad next to the salmon. Serve with lime wedges.