Salmon with Dill Sauce & Spring Spaghetti from Every Night of the Week by Lucy Tweed

We are chuffed to have your newsletter recipe from Lucy Tweed, goddess of the kitchen and author of recently published cookbook Every Night of the Week. Lockdown has seen us all getting more adventurous in the kitchen, breaking the Groundhog Day routine by trying new recipes, but not aiming to be the next Masterchef – we want ease, flavour, and the opportunity to triumph, not fail in our kitchens. Following Lucy on Instagram has been a game-changer for me and buying her cookbook one of the best purchases I made during Sydney’s extended lockdown. Lucy is laid-back, funny, candid, and approachable with her attitude toward food, cooking & eating. Her recipes are simple & mouth-wateringly delicious. Her book & Insta feed are full of recipes for people who don't like recipes. She began her career as a food developer and stylist working for nine years at Donna Hay magazine, learning all about the beauty of simple, fresh food. She has worked in food styling, menu creation, travel writing and art direction for Gourmet Traveller, SBS, Bauer Media and many more.

Salmon with Dill Sauce & Spring Spaghetti

(from p. 107 of her new cookbook)

Serves 4

I hope the sun is shining the day you make this.

1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) whole salmon fillet, skin on, pin-boned
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt
3 zucchini (courgettes), julienned
2 bunches asparagus, julienned (or if you don’t have the patience, halved lengthways, or quartered if fat)
250 g (9 oz) angel hair pasta

Dill sauce

3 tablespoons grated parmesan
½ cup (125 ml) vinai-no-regrette (see page 194)
handful of dill, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

Optional ingredients

dill sprigs, and I feel like chablis is fitting

Asparagus will have just changed in price from 1 human soul per bunch to ‘buy 1, get 3’, and you’ve worn a floaty number once or twice already as winter* eases.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and bring a saucepan of heavily salted water to the boil.

Place the salmon, skin-side down, on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush with oil and season with salt. This goes in for a total of 15 minutes (or 20 for more well done). You don’t have time for a ciggie or any other disgusting habit while this cooks because you need to do other stuff … it’s a super-fast dish, this one.

Place your divinely julienned vegetables in the colander you intend to drain the pasta into.

Vinai-no-regrette (Vinaigrette)

Makes a bit over 1½ cups (375 ml)

My grandmother would always say a salad should be tossed with conviction. This is conviction.

½ cup (125 ml) lemon juice
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed (into big chunks you can fish out later)
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ cup (50 g) grated parmesan
1 cup (250 ml) extra virgin
olive oil (EVO oil)

Optional ingredients

fresh herbs, chilli, other mustards and anchovies

Google ‘storing salad Dressings’ and there are lots of opinions: ‘lemon juice goes gross’, ‘NEVER refrigerate EVO oil’ etc.

These may all be true and my palate may very well be unsophisticated, but I have a jar of this running like master stock in my fridge for weeks.

It gets low fast and I top it up with stuff.

You can decide if that works for you but the main thing is to remove the raw garlic.

If you want to leave it in there, then saute it first.

Lemon juice + garlic + dijon + sugar + salt + parmesan > a jar or bowl.

Leave for 30 minutes.

Walk away.

Make dinner. Pour a drink. Talk to your guests. Play a round of Pictionary with your kids where all they draw is a stick man even if they get the word ‘carwash’.

The key is to let the lemon juice dissolve, cook and suck the deliciousness out of everything in that mix. Just go away long enough to suddenly think ‘Oh, the salad dressing!’.

Add the EVO oil and shake or whisk like crazy.

Learn this. You will use this dressing often. Here are some things I do with it:

· Halve the quantities and make it in the base of the large bowl you plan to serve a big green salad in. Tossing dressing from the bottom up is enlightening.

· Add chives.

· Add basil and some smooshed roasted cherry toms.

· Toss it through a zucchini pasta with ricotta.

· Combine some with an equal amount of mayonnaise and mix with a shredded roast chook for the easiest picnic roll filling.

· Add a tablespoon to your scrambled egg mix.

· Mash with anchovies and butter to eat on toast.

Wine pairing comes from Clio & Rhaad, our management team at Bayswater Fine Wines. Clio has been with Neighbourhood Cellars for three and a half years now and has headed up Paddo & Darlo before coming back in to work at Rushcutters Bay. Rhaad is new to the team after selling his much-loved wine bar Mille Vini on Crown St Surry Hills earlier this year. Wanting to make a change from the late nights working in hospo, Rhaad was keen to remain in a career that allows him to follow his passion of all things wine.

2019 Racine Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc France

This perfect spring wine is extremely crisp and elegant with high oyster shell minerality. Aromas are of zesty lime and green apple with hints of salty sea water. The palate offers refreshing citrus and mineral characters with racy acidity. This is a perfect wine with fresh seafood while sitting enjoying the sunshine! The minerality in the wine will perfectly compliment the fresh asparagus and dill sauce and the acidity will hold up to the rich texture the salmon brings.

2021 Break Free Petit Blancs Vin Nat Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer Great Southern WA

For our second number, this home-grown natural wine epitomises fun and funky in a glass. Made from an aromatic blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris & Gewurztraminer this wine is zesty and floral on the nose with hints of apple blossom and jasmine. Despite the cloudy appearance, the wine is fresh, crunchy and dry and makes a perfect match for this Salmon dish as it highlights the spring freshness of the vegetables while also providing textural contrast to the fish. This wine makes the dish fun and vibrant and perfect with great company!

salmon with dill sauce & spring spaghetti

bistecca alla fiorentina