Salmon with Mustard Fruit
This is such a great way to jazz up some fish. Mustard fruit is a preserve made of cherries, figs, and baby pears in a mustard and honey syrup, it is heaven! My kids are still not sure about this so I will serve their piece without the mustard fruit. Even if your child doesn’t like fish yet, you could give them a small piece of yours and serve alongside a fish finger. I will be serving this with roast new potatoes but will also shove in some chips too as the kids are still new to new potatoes! (I cut potatoes in half and give a good drizzle of olive oil and put in oven at 180C for 40-45 until golden and turn a couple of time)
This to me is not serving two meals, but trying to cater for everyone and doing it easily. Once my kids start eating new potatoes more, I won’t bother with any other carbs. When serving up family meals, I try and include at least one component of the meal that is familiar to my children so there is no pressure to try something they are not sure about.
You can buy mustard fruit online here: www.souschef.co.uk It is expensive but lasts ages.
Serving suggestion:
- Without expectation
- Without bribery (as child more likely to back away even further)
- Think long-term, not just on one meal
- 'You provide, they decide’ (Division Of Responsibility)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 x 200g salmon fillet
4tsbp extra virgin oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsbp finely chopped mustard fruit, plus 2 tsbp syrup from the jar
3 sprigs fresh mint
450g new potatoes
2 small courgettes,
METHOD:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180 fan. Rub the salmon with 1 tsbp of the oil and place in a roasting tin. Sprinkle over the lemon juice and finely chopped mustard fruit and place the mint sprigs on top. Season, then leave to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes to a pain of boiling water and cook until tender. Meanwhile, roast the salmon for 15-17 minutes, until just beginning to caramelise on the outside.
3. Bring another pain of water to the boil, add the courgettes (or whatever veggies you fancy) and cook for 5 minutes, until just tender then drain. Halve the drained potatoes and mix with the courgettes.
4. Dress the vegetables with the remaining oil and the mustard fruit syrup and season. Divide the vegetables between 4 serving plates and top with the salmon.
(Recipe taken from a book by Aldo Zilli)
How to serve this meal to your child
Beginner: ‘My child refuses any new meals’
I normally recommend serving any new food as leftovers the next day or as a starter to your child, but fish is never great reheated, so to begin with, serve alongside a fish finger or something else easy to shove into the oven at the same time. Don’t expect your child to eat it straightaway, these early stages are all about the exposure to new food and if you can offer it in a zero pressure setting, then even better. It’s about creating easy opportunities to widen your child’s food list.
Intermediate eater: ‘My child may try this new dish but I’m not sure’
Choose a day when you can eat together so at least they can see you eating this new meal. Offer other components your child usually eats so there is no pressure. Add chips, a jacket potato or mash depending on your child’s preferences. It doesn’t matter if your child doesn’t touch the new meal, it is all about your child getting used to seeing new food and taking it in and also seeing you eat it to give them confidence for future meals.
Advanced eater: ‘My child eats most things I give them and is not phased by new food’
Serve new meal and if they unexpectedly do refuse it, the best advice is not to panic and don’t feel bad. It’s just one meal. Say non-confrontational words such as ‘you don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to’ and and see if they can try a bit in their own time. If they don’t, it is best to move onto the next mealtime and write it off and try another time!
