To help navigate the dreariest months of the year, celebrated chef Ryan Riley is sharing weekly instalments from his personal collection of favourite recipes designed to deliver both comfort and joy. This week's featured dish on his small pleasure menu is a vibrant and health-conscious creation: Kimchi Salmon with Ginger Greens.
A Dish for Days When You Want to Feel Good
There are certainly days that call for classic, indulgent comfort food—think rich, slow-cooked meals ideally enjoyed in a cosy country pub setting. However, Ryan Riley highlights that there are equally moments when one desires to feel lighter, brighter, and as though they've performed a genuine act of self-kindness. For those particular days, he turns to ingredients like kimchi.
Kimchi is renowned not only for its significant gut-health benefits but also for the powerfully tangy and fermented flavour profile it introduces to any dish. In this recipe, it forms the heart of a quick yet flavourful marinade.
Simple Preparation for Maximum Flavour
The process begins by finely dicing the kimchi and combining it in a mixing bowl with sesame oil, the zest and juice of a fresh lime, and a delicate pinch of white pepper. Skinless, boneless salmon fillets are then added, turned gently to ensure they are thoroughly coated in the tangy mixture. While the salmon marinates at room temperature for a brief ten minutes, the oven heats up.
For the accompanying greens, you have the option of using either pak choi or spring greens. These are tossed in a simple yet aromatic blend of ginger paste, garlic paste, light soy sauce, and vegetable oil until they achieve a glossy, well-coated finish.
Effortless Cooking with Impressive Results
The marinated salmon is placed on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, with the prepared greens arranged around it. After just twelve minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C (or 160°C for a fan-assisted oven), the transformation is complete.
The salmon emerges perfectly cooked, flaking effortlessly at the gentle nudge of a fork. The greens become tender while retaining a pleasing bite, and the marinade cooks down into a vibrant, flavourful glaze that coats everything beautifully. The result is a meal that appears and tastes as though considerable effort was involved, yet the reality is a fresh, fast, and deeply satisfying preparation.
This is precisely the kind of dish that makes you feel cared for and nourished, almost without conscious effort—a perfect antidote to the winter gloom.
Ryan Riley's Kimchi Salmon with Ginger Greens Recipe
Serves 2
For the Salmon
- 6 tablespoons kimchi, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 × 180g skinless, boneless salmon fillets
For the Greens
- 2 heads of pak choi or 1 head of spring greens
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
To Serve
- A few coriander leaves, to garnish
- Cooked white rice (optional)
- Crispy fried egg (optional)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan-assisted ovens).
- In a mixing bowl, combine the diced kimchi with the sesame oil and the lime zest and juice. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the white pepper to the bowl, then introduce the salmon fillets. Turn them gently to ensure they are fully coated in the marinade. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and allow the salmon to marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for the greens—pak choi or spring greens, ginger paste, garlic paste, light soy sauce, and vegetable oil. Toss well until the greens are evenly coated.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the marinated salmon fillets on the tray and arrange the prepared greens around them.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and the greens have lightly wilted.
- Once removed from the oven, scatter fresh coriander leaves over the dish. Serve immediately as is, or for a more substantial meal, plate it on a bed of cooked white rice and top with a crispy fried egg.
