Rachel Khoo: Live and let dip

From watching the Bond movies one can only presume that James prefers a liquid diet over anything more substantial. However, if he were ever to get his hands dirty in the kitchen, I can imagine him cooking (or rather not cooking, as this recipe involves none) something with clean, sharp flavours. Using his Secret Service knife skills, he would conjure up a no-fuss dish such as this salmon sashimi with a ginger and radish salad. And, of course, the sauce, just like his Martini, is shaken, not stirred.

Salmon sashimi with a ginger and radish salad and a shaken, not stirred dipping sauce

Serves one

200g sushi-grade salmon fillet, boned and skinned*

For the ginger and radish salad

½ thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled (use a spoon to peel)
5 radishes, washed and trimmed
1 spring onion, green parts only
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar

For the shaken, not stirred sauce

1 tbsp salty soy sauce
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
½ tbsp gin
5 drops of sesame seed oil

Use a mandolin or sharp knife to slice the ginger and radishes (the slices should be paper thin). Finely cut the green part of the spring onion. Toss the ginger (for a less fiery salad only add a couple of slices), radishes and spring onion with the vinegar, salt and sugar. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Place all the sauce ingredients in a cocktail shaker or jam jar. Shake vigorously to combine the ingredients. Slice the salmon into 1cm-thick slices. Pour the sauce over the salmon and serve with the salad.

*Buy your salmon from a reputable fishmonger to be sure it’s fresh. The fish should be bright and shiny in colour and not have too many fat white lines (very common in farmed salmon) and not smell. For a list of fishmongers who sell sushi-grade fish, go to yoursushi.co.uk.