The Blue Fairy

All proceeds from this project go to those working on the frontline of Covid 19 - the wonderful team at Medicin Sans Frontiers .


This piece started out life as the introductory section of a longer work commissioned by FORM Dance and Fling Physical Theatre for The Four Winds and Sydney Festivals. I was searching for some music in my repertoire that sounded like it could be underwater – a literal accompaniment to fish soup.

I was inspired to develop the piece further (under COVID-19 isolation) when I re-watched the Kubrick/Spielberg movie A.I. and found its imagined premise of future global warming to be extremely prescient. At the heart of the movie is a fairy tale – the fable of Pinocchio. The indelible image that lingered with me after both viewings was the haunting sight of child robot David, imprisoned in a submerged vehicle on the ocean floor beneath a drowned Manhattan. He yearns to be a real boy – desperately hoping the Blue Fairy will make his wish come true.
© Amanda Brown


This recipe is one of my staples, adapted from a recipe by Jill Dupleix from her book Old Food. It’s a great winter warmer and perfect with a light red wine or sake. Like all the dishes I make its simple and easy to prepare – it takes about half an hour aside from the marinading time.


SALMON SOBA NOODLE SOUP

Serves 4

Ingredients
240g Japanese soba or buckwheat noodles
4 small salmon or ocean trout fillets
1 bunch of English spinach, washed and stemmed (baby bok choy is a good substitute)
Small nob of ginger
4 spring onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal
Japanese rice seasoning
Commercial teriyaki marinade
Oil for frying or grilling – peanut or olive with a few drops of sesame oil for added flavour

For the broth:
2 cups fish, corn or vegetable stock
2 cups water
4 tablespoons miso paste
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin

Marinate the salmon fillets in the teriyaki marinade for a few hours, covered and refrigerated. When preparing the broth, bring out to room temperature.

Heat water and stock in a pot and add miso paste, soy and mirin. Peel and crush the ginger, add the juice to the broth. You only need a few drops. Adjust to taste.

Cook noodles till al dente, rinse in cold water and drain. Set aside.

Grill or fry the salmon on both sides with the oil (a good trick is to put baking paper under the fish in the frying pan so it doesn’t stick) until the fish is caramelised on the outside and still slightly raw inside. Timing will depend on how thick your fillet is.

Add noodles to your boiling broth to heat through, add spinach leaves before serving at the end to wilt (no more than a minute). If using bok choy cook for longer.

Divide noodles between bowls and ladle hot broth into each serving, top the noodles with the cooked salmon. Sprinkle rice seasoning on the salmon and scatter spring onions on top. Serve with chopsticks and spoons.