ZELDA - Green Tea Poached Salmon with Royal Blueberry Sauce

Complexity: ★★☆☆☆

Zelda bears the Triforce of Wisdom – I wanted to reflect this in the dish, so I decided to focus on ingredients which contribute to a healthy and sharp mind. Almost every component of this dish is considered “brain food”: fish such as salmon are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids which help build nerve cells in your brain, improving learning and memory. Green tea contains important amino acids that promote healthy brain activity, reducing anxiety and tiredness, as well as caffeine which boosts concentration, alertness, and positive mood. Blueberries contain antioxidants such as anthocyanins, which help improve communication between brain cells and combat neurodegenerative diseases. Alright, enough with the science lesson! Point is, combining these simple but elegant ingredients was a wise choice to represent the Hyrule's erudite leader.

Fish is quite an appropriate dish for the world of Zelda: fishing mechanics have appeared in Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, and Breath of the Wild. Poached salmon also makes for a most dainty and delicate dish, perfect for an elegant princess! Green tea has even more connotations of classiness and elegance – drinking tea is an activity associated with aristocracy and royalty in many cultures. (I’d be willing to bet that, when they aren’t preoccupied with saving the world from a demonic evil, Zelda often enjoys high tea at the castle with Link!)

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INGREDIENTS

Poached Salmon:

• 8-10 cups water

• 1 lime, halved

• 2 scallions, slice lengthwise

• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

• Few sprigs fresh rosemary

• 1 tbsp salt

• ¼ cup honey

• 4-5 green tea bags

• 4 boneless skinless salmon fillets

Balsamic Blueberry Sauce:

• 1 cup fresh blueberries

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

1. Fill a shallow pot with 8-10 cups water. Add scallions, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, salt, and honey. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavours to infuse.

2. Add tea to the poaching liquid, and then gently place in salmon fillets, making sure they are fully submerged. Cook for 10-15 minutes until salmon becomes firm and reaches an internal temperature of 145°.

3. Meanwhile, combine blueberries, brown sugar, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high until blueberries release their juices and the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat while the salmon fillets are poaching.

4. Once fully cooked, remove salmon fillets from poaching liquid.

5. Thin out sauce with a couple tablespoons of poaching liquid if needed, and drizzle over salmon fillets. Sprinkle with extra rosemary if desired.

I was a particularly pleased with how these photos turned out!