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Lomi lomi salmon
Salmon, tomato and onion relish
Hawaiian salted salmon, tomato and onion relish (cooked, safer version)
Lomi means to massage: at Hawaiian lūʻau and graduation parties, salted salmon is squeezed by hand with diced tomatoes, sweet onion and spring onions into a cold, juicy relish that cuts through rich kalua pig and poi. It arrived with salted salmon traded from the Pacific Northwest by nineteenth-century whalers. The traditional version uses raw salt-cured salmon, which is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; this safer version gently poaches the salmon first. Chef's tip: chill everything well and drain the tomatoes, so the relish stays bright rather than watery.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 14 oz salmon fillet, skinless
- 1 ½ tbsp coarse sea salt
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 4 ripe tomatoesseeded and diced
- 1 sweet white onionfinely diced
- 4 spring onionsfinely sliced
- ½ red chilli (optional)very finely chopped
- 1 handful crushed ice (optional)to serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub the 14 oz salmon fillet, skinless with the 1 ½ tbsp coarse sea salt, cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours to firm and season it. Rinse well under cold water.
125 minStep 2: Bring the 4 ¼ cups water to a bare simmer, add the salmon and poach gently for 6–8 minutes, until opaque all the way through and it flakes easily. Lift out and cool, then chill.
10 minStep 3: Flake the salmon into small pieces, removing any bones. Taste a flake; if it is very salty, soak the flakes in cold water for 10 minutes and drain.
12 minStep 4: Put the 4 ripe tomatoes in a sieve for 5 minutes to drain. A common mistake is skipping this, which floods the relish with juice.
5 minStep 5: Squeeze together the salmon, tomatoes, 1 sweet white onion, 4 spring onions and ½ red chilli gently with your fingers until mixed. Chill for at least 1 hour and serve very cold, on 1 handful crushed ice if you like. Eat within a day.
62 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lomi lomi salmon take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of salmon fillet, skinless?
- Trout or any firm white fish, same weight (check white fish a little sooner).
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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