Salmon with Pasta and Capers

I have wanted to recreate this dish since the day we had it. We first had this in a place called Panash in Hong Kong. Oddly, it was a bakery and cafe, but their dishes were just sooo delicious.  

Hubby ordered "3 Brothers Burgers," so called because every burger has a different kind of patty. One was regular beef burger, the other one was fish, and the third was chicken. They were all paired with sauces that would complement the flavor of the patty.

Panash (HK) food trip

It was very good, but MY order took the spotlight! If my memory serves me right, I think it was called "Angel Salmon." Basically, it was smoked salmon with pasta and capers in white sauce. I think it was the capers that made this dish so flavorful. I wouldn't eat capers by itself (I think they're too salty and taste like pickled olives), but in a dish, they are excellent!

I tried best I can to re-create the Angel Salmon by memory (and taste), and this is what I came up with. Not the exact thing, but darn close! One big difference is that they smoked their salmon. Mine was just pan-fried in a bit of butter. But the result was amazing! I felt like I was back in Panash again - minus the harrowing plane ride!

Salmon is at peak so they are cheaper than normal!

What you need: 

about a pound of salmon (fillet)
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
4 to 6 tablespoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 Vidalia onion, minced
3 tablespoons sweet white wine (I used Riesling) 
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons capers
angel hair pasta
salt and pepper, to taste

What to do: 

Cook noodles according to package directions. Set aside.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion. Add more butter if it looked dried out. Add capers with a little bit of juice from the jar (about a teaspoon or so). Let cook for about 30 seconds, then add milk, wine and broth. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add cooked noodles.

Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of butter in a skillet and pan-fry the salmon according to desired doneness. 

Place some noodles on a bowl and top with cooked salmon. Enjoy!

Hubby had his with tomatoes

Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Add more butter if the butter dries up after sauteing (onion tends to suck up all those buttery goodness!).
2. Aside from Riesling, you can also use Chardonnay or Moscato. Or regular rice wine!
3. As always, you can add or take away the amount of any ingredient (such as capers), depending on how you like it.