Wondering what Yuzu is? It's a fragrant citrus fruit from Japan - imagine the love-child of a grapefruit and a mandarin. It's one of those flavours that's intriguing, delicious and surprising - all at the same time. Foodie trendsetters have tipped Yuzu to become mainstream, like buying limes or avocados in your weekly shop, but for now, it's still an unusual flavour that needs exploring.

It's great used in dressings, marinades and sauces, particularly with fish or shellfish but it's also good with chicken - try mixing yuzu with soy, mirin and sesame oil with a sprinkle of Togarashi seasoning (Japanese 7 spice) for a simple and tasty chicken marinade. It's also really cheeky served up in a cocktail - try a dash of Yuzu juice with gin, angostura bitters and soda.

Here are two different dressing recipes that use this lovely citrus fruit. I've made one as a vinaigrette to dress slaw and the other as fruity sauce, both to garnish a piece of sesame coated, baked salmon.

Yuzu Vinaigrette
10ml Yuzu Juice
10ml Rice Wine Vinegar
10ml Mirin
50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch of Sea Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper

This is such a simple dressing to knock together, simply add the Yuzu, Rice Wine Vinegar and Mirin together in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and slowly drizzle in the olive oil whilst whisking. Finish with a twist of black pepper.

Yuzu Sauce
2 x Egg Yolks
1tsp Dijon Mustard
40ml Yuzu Juice
A couple of pinches of Sea Salt
175ml Fussels Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil

This sauce is half way to becoming mayonnaise.

1. Add the egg yolks to a bowl with the mustard, salt and yuzu juice. Slowly pour in the rapeseed oil, whisking vigorously as you do. Pouring the oil in slowly will prevent your sauce from splitting.

Sesame Coated Salmon
4 x Fillets of Salmon, skinless
3tbsp White Sesame Seeds
3tbsp Black Sesame Seeds
2tbsp Teriyaki Marinade

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C

2. If required, remove the skin from the salmon fillets. To do this, place the salmon fillet on a board, skin side down. Using a sharp knife, make a cut just above the skin and continue to run the knife all the way along the fillet. As you move the knife along, hold the exposed skin with the other hand and angle the knife slightly downwards. This will perfectly remove the skin and none of the salmon.

2. Roll each fillet in the teriyaki marinade and if time allows, leave it for 10-15 minutes.

3. Now sprinkle the sesame seeds over all sides of the salmon to coat, place them on an oiled baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

Yuzu Coleslaw
The mix of coleslaw ingredients is pretty flexible, I find most vegetables are pretty good eaten raw in a coleslaw, I've used the following;
1-2 Carrots, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
¼ Savoy Cabbage (or white cabbage or Chinese leaf)
¼ Red Cabbage
3-4 Spring Onions, finely sliced
7-8 Mangetout, thinly sliced length ways
6-7 Radishes, sliced
1 x Green Apple, cored and sliced into thin strips - drizzled with a little extra Yuzu juice
Small bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley, stalks removed
Cress
Salt

1. Prep all your vegetables and sprinkle with a little salt, leave for 4-5 minutes.
2. Dress with the Yuzu Vinaigrette and serve.

To bring the dish together, place a salmon fillet on each plate, pile on a little slaw and finish with a drizzle of yuzu sauce. It's great served with some boiled new potatoes.

Enjoy! Don't forget to tag us in your social posts or leave a review if you cook this at home foodies. Ben

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