Millet and salmon croquettes

In my last post I explained a bit about millet and its health benefits. Now you can have a go at a delicious recipe using millet, which my students and children love.

Given the variation in plant species that may be described as "millet", the batches of millet grain you buy at health food stores can be a bit variable in quality.

You may thus need to experiment a little with the quantity of water you add when cooking millet. Millet tends to absorb water readily, so I usually find that I need 3 cups of water to 1 cup of millet.

When cooking whole grains, the important thing is to bring the cooking water to a boil (I usually add boiling water from a kettle in the first place to speed up the process), then turn the heat right down low and put the lid on tightly, so that the water simmers without boiling over.

You will need a good quality pan with a thick base and possibly also a heat disperser, depending on how easily you can control the heat source on your cooker. If possible, use a gas flame rather than an electric cooker.

Do not be tempted to take off the lid and check your millet for at least 15 to 20 minutes after it has started simmering - you want to keep the steam inside the pan as this helps to cook the grain without the pan drying out.

Your aim is to end up with soft cooked millet, no water in the pan and no burnt bits!

Recipe

Millet and salmon croquettes

Ingredients

• 1 cup millet
• 3 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 fillet fresh salmon
• ½ red pepper (grilled, peeled, washed and cut finely)
• 3 spring onions (scallions) or chives (chopped finely)
• 3 sprigs fresh herbs, e.g., dill or basil or parsley (finely chopped)
• Black pepper
• 2 teaspoons white miso (or more to taste)
• Rice flour
• Olive oil

Method

• Steam the fresh fish with bay leaves and a pinch of sea salt for 5 minutes or until cooked.
• Wash the millet, add 3 cups of water and a bay leaf, bring to the boil and then turn the heat down low and cook with the lid tightly on for 35 minutes, until all the water has evaporated and the millet is soft.
• Break up the steamed salmon with a fork and mix with the millet, spring onions, red pepper, black pepper, fresh herbs, and 2 tsp white miso (N.B. do not dilute the miso in water otherwise the croquettes will be too soggy to stick together). Check for taste and add more miso if necessary.
• Shape the mixture into croquettes, coat with some rice flour and put in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool down, as this helps to stop the croquettes from crumbling.
• Brush with a little olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown all over. Alternatively, you can pan fry them if you wish.

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Cooking with miso

Different types of miso
www.cookingforhealth.biz

Miso is a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and a microbial culture called koji.

It contains living enzymes which aid digestion, beneficial bacteria essential for enhancing gut flora and digestive health, and provides a nutritious balance of natural carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and proteins. 

Miso also contains phytonutrients in the form of soy isoflavones, including genistein and daidzein, which are known to be protective against cancer.

The most typical miso is made with soy. The typical result is a thick paste used for sauces and spreads, pickling vegetables or meats, and mixing with soup stock to serve as miso soup.

In Japanese, the word miso literally means “source of taste”. Miso is typically salty, but its flavour and aroma depend on various factors in the ingredients and fermentation process. 

Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savoury, and there is an extremely wide variety of miso available. The most common ones available in the UK are:

• Shiro or white miso – fermented for 2-8 weeks. High in carbohydrates and koji but lower in soybeans than the dark varieties

• Mugi or barley/soy miso – fermented from one summer up to 3 years

• Genmai or rice/soy miso – fermented from one summer up to 3 years

• Hatcho or soy miso – fermented from one summer up to 3 years

Some of the health benefits of miso:

• For stamina: miso contains carbohydrates which give us energy
• For proper body metabolism: miso is rich in minerals
• For proper digestion: miso contains living enzymes and beneficial bacteria for enhancing the health of the gut
• For beauty: miso nourishes the skin and blood, thus promoting cell renewal and the building of skin tissues
• For the heart: miso contains linoleic acid and lecithin, which are helpful in preventing heart disease

You can use miso to season dishes instead of stock cubes. It is salty, so care must be taken not to use too much, but unlike stock cubes it contains many other beneficial nutrients.

White miso is sweeter than the darker varieties, so is used in sweeter dishes and when using light-coloured ingredients. Mugi, genmai and hatcho miso are rich and dark and are used in nourishing casseroles.

For a typical recipe for a soup or a casserole to serve 4 people, mix approximately one dessertspoon of miso in a little water and add to the dish about 2 to 3 minutes before the end of the cooking process, and simmer gently over a low heat.

Adding the miso at the end helps to minimise damage to the enzymes and live bacteria it contains. 

Miso can also be used to season recipes such as croquettes, bean burgers and fish cakes. In this case, you do not dilute the miso in water, otherwise the grain becomes too soggy and will not bind together.

You must always taste your dish before serving and adjust the seasoning accordingly, because the amount of miso required depends very much on the quantity of food present and on personal taste.

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