Being the recent recipients of TEN POUNDS of salmon, I figured we should get to eating some of it. Admittedly, I have have some issues with salmon in the past - there was a fateful weekend in Oregon many summers ago where my mom and sisters and I swore we were fed so much salmon we were ready to start swimming upstream. Fortunately, I have spent a good amount of time in Northern Washington and Alaska in the last several years, and I have grown to appreciate what delicious salmon can taste like. Still not my favorite thing to eat mind you - but it can be good.
In addition, salmon gets a TON of good press about being so healthy for you (wild, not farmed) and especially if you are pregnant. The salmon that we were the proud recipients of is none other than the acclaimed Copper River Red salmon - 'fishable' for only a small window of each year and coming to us FRESH from the very waters it was caught in. Of course, we had to freeze most of it - one can only consume so much salmon at a go. But here is my favorite recipe for preparing it - pretty easy, pretty healthy, and pretty tasty. As a bonus, the glaze/herb mixture has so much flavor that it can mask the taste of lesser salmon, or disguise it completely for any non-salmon fans out there. Of course, if you have salmon this good, go sparing with the glaze so you can actually taste the fish.
Of course, after frying/roasting salmon in my house, I could not stand the smell. That's were the granola came from. Incidentally, the granola recipe is ALSO from Northern Washington. Coincidence? Yes, probably.
SEAR ROASTED SALMON with GINGER LIME SAUCE
feeds 8 but can easily be halved
This recipe comes from a fantastic woman that I used to work with in San Francisco - she runs an incredible company called Parties That Cook (partiesthatcook.com). The recipe is a little bit of effort, but it is really good and looks restaurant worthy!
Salmon:
3 1/2 lbs. filet of salmon, skin removed
Kosher salt and pepper
Glaze Mixture:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (can substitute lemon juice)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
Herb Mixture:
3 Tablespoons grated ginger
2 Tablespoons finely minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped mint
3 red jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup peanut oil for pan-frying salmon
Methods/Steps:
Preheat the oven to 425°F
Salmon: Remove the pin bones from the salmon. Cut the salmon into six-ounce filets (either by slicing narrow pieces across the whole filet, or cutting the filet in half lengthwise first and then slicing square pieces). Set aside until ready to fry. Just before cooking, season generously with salt and pepper.
Glaze: In a medium non-reactive bowl, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, corn syrup, lime juice, salt and brown sugar. Stir to mix and dissolve sugar and salt. Add peanut oil.
Herb Mixture: In another bowl, combine the grated ginger, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, chopped mint, chopped jalapeno and the coarsely chopped peanuts.
Sear Salmon: Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 3-4 Tablespoons of peanut oil. (Oil should be about 1/8-inch high in the pan). Heat the oil over high heat until it is very hot. Presentation side down, add the 3-4 salmon filets to the pan (do not crowd the pan), and pan-fry until golden brown and crisp (about 3 minutes). Do not move the salmon around in the pan or the crust will not form. When an opaque pink rim about 1/2-inch-thick forms around the bottom edge of the salmon, gently transfer it to a sheet pan with the browned side up. Finish browning the remaining salmon filets.
Roast Salmon: Transfer sheet pan(s) with the seared salmon to the oven and finish cooking, about 8-10 minutes or until the white proteins begin to emerge from the fish. Salmon should still be rare (dark pink) in the center. Remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
To Serve: Combine the herb and glaze mixtures right before ready to serve. Serve each piece of salmon with a generous spoonful (about 2 ounces) of sauce. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro.
RICE with JADE SAUCE
I like to serve this salmon with rice (white or brown) mixed with this jade sauce. Makes a pretty presentation and gives you more green in your diet! Just prepare the rice as you normally would, then add this sauce and mix well before serving.
* 1/2 c Spinach leaves; firmly
* 1 ts Grated orange peel
* 1/4 c Fresh mint leaves
* 1/2 c Fresh cilantro leaves
* 12 lg Fresh basil leaves
* 2 Green onions; chopped
* 2 tb Dry sherry
* 2 tb White vinegar
* 2 tb Dark sesame oil
* 1 tb Soy sauce
* 2 ts Hoisin sauce
* 2 ts Sugar
* 1/2 ts Chili sauce; Asian
* 1/2 ts Salt
Place ingredients in a blender or food processor container. Blend until pureed. Refrigerate.
EASY GRANOLA
And finally, when you are done smelling up your house with salmon, whip up a batch of this granola - it will make your house smell delicious. And as a bonus, it tastes pretty good too.
4 cups oats (not instant or steel cut)
1/2 cup oil (canola, vegetable, saffron, whatever)
1/4 cup maple syrup (the REAL kind, not Mrs. Buttersworths)
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup water
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Nuts, flaxseed, dried fruits, etc (optional)
Pour oats into a bowl (I add some flaxseed as well). Mix remaining ingredients (except for nuts and dried fruits) in a saucepan on the stove and heat until JUST coming to a boil. Pour over oats and mix well. Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the granola is lightly browned. If you are adding nuts, you may want to add them in the last ten minutes or so. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet. Once cool, add dried fruits (apricots and cranberries work well) and mix together. Store in a airtight container and enjoy! Keeps for about two weeks.
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