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United States, Americas · Hot Honey Salmon with Crisp Cucumber Salad

Crispy Hot Honey Salmon Bites with Whipped Feta

Golden, cornstarch-crisp salmon cubes tossed in buttery hot honey and piled onto lemony whipped feta, with cool cucumber sticks: a shareable snack plate.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time25 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsCook the salmon cubes until opaque throughout (63°C). Keep children away from hot oil, and if oil ever catches fire, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the heat; never use water. Do not give honey to babies under 1 year old.

Method

  1. Make the whipped feta: crumble the feta and blitz it with the yogurt and the lemon zest and juice in a mini chopper or with a stick blender for 1–2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy (or mash with a fork, then beat hard with a whisk). Spread it over a shallow plate, making a swoosh with the back of a spoon.

    Add in this stepFeta cheese 80 gGreek yogurt 4 tbspLemon (zest and juice) ½

  2. Cut the cucumber into 8 cm sticks and keep them cold in the fridge.

    Add in this stepCucumber 200 g

  3. Cut the salmon into 2.5 cm cubes and pat them very dry. Toss with the salt and smoked paprika, then shake with the cornstarch in a bowl or bag until evenly dusted and tap off the excess. Coat them right before frying so the coating stays dry and crisp.

    Add in this stepSkinless salmon fillet 300 gSalt ½ tspSmoked paprika ½ tspCornstarch 2 tbsp

  4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat (24 cm · 1×: pan size and number of batches). It is hot enough when a pinch of cornstarch sizzles at once. Add the salmon in a single layer with 1 cm between cubes and fry for per batch, turning with tongs every minute, until golden on all sides. Cut one open: it is done when opaque all the way through. Drain on a rack or paper towels.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil, for shallow-frying 5 tbsp

    medium-high heat

  5. Pour off the oil, wipe the pan with paper towel, then add the butter, honey and red pepper flakes and melt over low heat for , until gently bubbling.

    Add in this stepHoney 3 tbspRed pepper flakes ¾ tspButter 10 g

    low heat

  6. Turn off the heat, return the salmon and toss quickly until glossy. Pile onto the whipped feta, scatter with the sesame seeds and sliced scallions and add the cucumber sticks on the side. The crunch lasts only a few minutes, so serve straight away with toothpicks.

    Add in this stepSesame seeds 1 tspScallions 1

Cook's tip

Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and the coating turns greasy and soft, so always fry in a single layer. For an air fryer, spray the coated cubes with a little oil and cook at 200°C for 8–10 minutes, shaking once. The whipped feta can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge.

Cooking it at camp

You can shallow-fry in a deep cast-iron pan on a burner, but oil spits, so set the pan on a stable, level surface out of the wind. Make the whipped feta and cut the cucumber at home and pack them in the cooler; carry the salmon cubed and below 5°C and coat it on site. Let the used oil cool and take it home in a bottle.