Salmon with Miso Ginger Rub

Salmon lends itself to assertive sauces, being a fish with an intense flavor of its own.  A  rub with an Asian flare nicely contrasts with the richness of this fish - miso, ginger, ume plum vinegar, and citrus juice - a bright combinations of flavors.  Need I say Omega 3's?

Ivory King Salmon is a relatively rare fish, but widely available from fish purveyors in SE Alaska.  The salmon are line caught, not netted.  We have found it cost effective to gather a group of families and order wild-caught fish directly from Alaska.  By cost-effective, I mean the same price or less than Whole Foods or a comparable purveyor, delivered frozen and vacuum packed.  If you order in some quantity, the shipping cost goes down.  Once tasted, you are hooked!

Yup, not local at all.  But, I’m not sure if I would want a steady diet of fish from the Chesapeake Bay!  Nor do I want thawed fish sitting out in a fish counter with a fishy smell.  The fish directly from Alaska is pristine, smells like fresh out of the ocean, and keeps for a long time in a freezer.

Our favorite fish place is Coastal Cold Storage in Petersburg.  They do not have a website, but can be reached at coastal@alaska.net.  Prices are reasonable, at least in terms of fresh fish from reliable sources and the owners are very responsive to questions.

Salmon with Miso Ginger Rub

1 Wild Alaskan Ivory King salmon steak (c. 1#)

Rub:
1 1/2 - 2 T grated fresh young ginger root
2 T sweet brown rice miso
1 t yuzu juice (or fresh lemon or lime)
1 t ume plum vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp demerara sugar

Garnish:
small handful of sprouts or micro greens
orange sweet pepper strips (or any other color!)

Broccoli sprouts and orange pepper strips for garnish.  Mix the marinade ingredients together and rub both sides of salmon steak or flesh side of fillet.  Allow to marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.  Place in oiled glass pan and place 6 inches from preheated broiler (450 degrees).  For steaks, broil about 8-10 minutes on presentation side only.  For filets, skin side down and broil 10 minutes per inch.  Fish should still be moist, but not translucent.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Serves 2 very generously!

Note:  My favorite miso is the South River brand or organic hand-crafted miso - delicious, even for those that are miso-shy.  Yuzu juice, if you can find it, hides out in Asian stores and lasts forever in the refrigerator.  Expensive, yes, but you only need a teaspoon in a recipe to lend incredible flavor unlike any other citrus.  You may be able to find a source in an Asian market.

We grow our own sprouts - kind of a winter indoor garden thing - and find they last much longer than store varieties.  This is THE sprouter, takes care of itself and even produces sunflower sprouts without soil!  Get an extra barrel and you can do broccoli sprouts on top and sunflower sprouts on the bottom.  Filled with health-promoting properties, but better yet, tasty, crisp, crunchy and a fun addition to sandwiches and a myriad of other dishes!

Comments

[Dennis]

Can your sprout machine do beet sprouts? I recently enjoyed (in Brix of Yountville, California) a magnificent salad of elaborately presented roasted beets. The garnish was a tuft of beet shoots with vinagrette. The beet sprouts were baby beet plants, about four inches long, with roots removed. I have no idea where they got them, but they tasted like a delicate beet green, only much more tender. The cute red veins had appeared in miniature. I don't even know if beets are planted from seeds, but if so, you should try it.

[greensgal]

Dennis,
Thanks for the interesting note! Beets are grown from seeds - I'm afraid that at 4" we are talking micro-greens which are either soil grown or hydroponic. This sprouter is, of course, hydroponic, but once the sunflower sprouts reach 4 inches they start to droop over - even sooner. Besides, the nutrients in micro-greens are more plentiful when grown in soil. Sounds like a delicious dinner!