There’s no doubt about it; dad is a special person.

 

And for this reason, it’s easy to see why sons and daughters will use this coming Sunday to treat dad to something nice to eat (after all, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach).

 

However there is something ironic about events such as Father’s Day, and it’s this: during a time when you’re supposed to be spending a private moment with someone who raised you, you end up spending it with countless other dads and their children, all of which have the same idea.

 

The answer is simple. Avoid the easy option of dining in a restaurant and cook dad something so mind-blowingly delicious that he’ll feel really special, and all in the privacy of his – or your – own home, too.

 

Of course, we wouldn’t expect you to do ALL the hard work. Whilst we’ll leave the cooking to you, we’ve sourced two delicious lunch or dinner recipes for Father’s Day; one smoked salmon recipe and one fresh fish recipe.

 

Fresh fish option

Serves 2

Soy & maple salmon

 

We came across this fantastic dish on the Food Network and if dad enjoys fish with an oriental twist, then he’ll love this.

 

Ingredients

 

The glaze

60 ml soy sauce (dark)

2 x tablespoons of maple syrup

2 x tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 x tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

 

The rest

 

2 x large John Ross Jr salmon fillet portions

10 x asparagus stems with tips

1 small butternut squash

1 x shallot (minced)

1 x garlic clove (minced)

1 x tomato (minced)

Small handful of fresh parsley

2 x tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt (to taste)

 

Method

 

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

 

Peel and deseed the butternut squash before chopping into two halves. Place in a baking tray, toss with oil and roast for around 45 minutes.

 

Mix together the glaze ingredients and then marinade the salmon with it. Place in the fridge and take out 15 minutes before the butternut squash is finished and put in the oven to bake.

 

While the salmon (and squash) is cooking steam (or boil) the asparagus for five minutes and then, just before they’re cooked, drain and fry in a pan to get that lovely black charring, crispy effect.

 

Remove salmon and leave to stand for a few minutes.

 

Whilst the salmon is standing, sauté the shallot, tomato and garlic in the oil for about a minute.

 

When everything is cooked, place each butternut squash half on each plate, using it as the ‘bed’, and then lay five asparagus on top as a second layer. Then, for the third layer, place the salmon on top of the asparagus.

 

Finally, drizzle the sautéed mixture on top of each dish and serve.

 

Smoked salmon option

Serves 4

Smoked salmon and spinach fettuccine           

 

Ingredients

 

250g dry fettuccine pasta

125g unsalted butter

1 x cup of milk

1 x tablespoon of flour

1 x cup of Parmesan cheese (grated)

250g John Ross Jr Traditional Smoked Salmon (we’d recommend the 454g pack) – chopped into 4cm squares

1 x cup of fresh baby spinach (chopped)

2 x tablespoons capers

¼ cup of sundried tomatoes

½ cup of fresh oregano

 

Method

 

Add the fettuccine to a large boiling pan of water and cook for around 10 minutes.

 

Whilst the pasta’s cooking, take a pan and melt the butter on medium heat. Then blend the milk, mix in the flour and then gradually stir in the cheese so that you have a cheese sauce.

 

Take the chopped salmon and add to the sauce before adding the spinach, capers, tomatoes and oregano. Cook until all ingredients are heated through and then serve over the drained pasta.

 

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In the meantime, ‘Happy Father’s Day’ to all the dads out there from everyone at John Ross Jr.

 

Will you be making dad dinner this Father’s Day? Let us know via our Facebook Page or via Twitter using @JRJsmokedsalmon.