Seared Soy Orange Salmon, with…

…Lemongrass Buerre Blanc and Soy Balsamic Glaze.

I don’t care how complicated it sounds: you won’t complain once you have tasted it. My husband said it was the best salmon he has ever tasted in his LIFE. And he eats salmon—regularly—in fabulous restaurants.

Need a second opinion? My son, who had tried salmon in the past and maintained no affection for this pink-fleshed fish, was coerced by his mother [ehem] to try it. Success! He loved it and within moments, was asking for seconds.

This recipe came out of my American Regional cookbook—from one of my culinary classes. It is found in the chapter dedicated to Pacific Northwest Cuisine and is decidedly salmon-plus-Asian-influence. (Sometimes called ‘fusion cuisine,’ which means food, flavors and/or cooking methods from disparate cultures unite—think wonder twins).

Caramelized Salmon with Orange Soy Glaze
1/2 cup ginger, peeled chopped
1 T Sichuan peppercorns (ask at the grocer’s, they have a bit more kick than black peppercorns)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cilantro
4 salmon fillets (4 oz each)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 T coarse ground pepper
1 T peanut oil
2 T soy sauce
2 T Grand Marnier

Food process first 4; Roll salmon in mix, marinating at room temp for up to 2 hours. Mix sugar and pepper. Heat peanut oil in pan over medium. Press salmon (flesh side) into sugar/pepper mix. Saute flesh down, 2-3 minutes to caramelize sugar. Then turn salmon skin side down, lower heat and let finish cooking. Place on plate; ideally serve with Lemongrass Beurre Blanc and Balsamic Soy Glaze. Ah, those recipes are forthcoming… a bit like when you see a great movie and it ends with the promise of the next one.

Chef notes: I squirted the soy balsamic over the whole plate, then took about 1/2 cup braised greens (chard) and piled it in the middle of the plate, and topped it with the salmon. The buerre blanc I put in a circle around the greens. In our culinary kitchens, we would have used a squirt bottle for the glaze, likely tongs to gingerly place the greens, and a ladle to lovingly encircle the salmon with the buerre blanc.

Credit: page 507 in Second Edition American Regional Cuisine by The Art Institutes.

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