Slow-Roasted Ginger Scallion Salmon

I was first introduced to slow-roasted salmon when the Food52 Cookbook Club was going through Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat back in September.  I tried the citrus version with lemon vinaigrette first and was absolutely smitten.  As incredible as the citrus and vinaigrette were, I think it was the salt and slow-roasting that made the dish truly exceptional.  It made a regular farm-raised salmon filet taste like a wild-caught Copper River King salmon!  The salmon was moist, rich, and buttery without being slimy or fishy.  I also tried her soy-glazed version, and it turned out amazing as well, but having to baste the fillet every 15 minutes was kind of too fussy for me.

I decided I needed to combine the recipe for Grace's ginger scallion fish with this method of cooking salmon and found some friends who were interested in testing out the recipe.  I also found some friends who had poor reading comprehension and thought I was offering them free food, haha.

We tested roasting the salmon with the skin side up, down, and skinless, and I found that skin side down worked the best.  The skin shielded the fish from too much heat from below, and this version produced the least dry fillet.  The skin never really gets crispy, though, so unless you enjoy rubbery skin, I wouldn't serve that part.

Also, the reason I wrote that the salmon should be straight from the fridge is because some people were using frozen salmon which they let thaw on their counter before using.  Their salmon came out overdone in the time frame I gave so, if you are also making this with warmer-than-refrigerator salmon, reduce the time in the oven accordingly.

Slow-Roasted Ginger Scallion Salmon

1 lb. salmon fillet, straight from the fridge
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine (if you don't have any, just use more water)
2 tablespoons water
1 bunch scallions (about 6 oz.), green parts only
1-2 inch knob of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 225°F.

Combine the sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, and water and heat for 1 minutes in the microwave.  Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Line a small baking dish with the scallions and ginger and place salmon on top, skin side down.  Season the salmon liberally with kosher salt and coat with oil.  Pour the soy sauce mixture over the fish and roast the salmon for about 40-50 minutes, or until a thermometer stuck into the thickest part reads 110-120°F.

The fish should still look a lot like how it did when it went in (i.e. almost translucent), so if you don't have a thermometer, check for doneness by poking the thickest part; it will start to flake once it is ready.

Serve with rice and spoon some of the sauce on top for extra saucy goodness.

Next:  My Mom's Steamed Bao Buns
Previously:  Deep Fried Apple Dumplings with Miso Caramel Dipping Sauce
Last Year:  Pear Apple Cranberry Slab Pie
Two Years Ago:  Pad Thai
Three Years Ago:  Raindrop Cake
Four Years Ago:  My Mom's Taiwanese Sticky Rice
Five Years Ago:  Grapefruit Pie
Eight Years Ago:  Nanaimo Bars
Nine Years Ago:  Homemade Crystallized Ginger

Crispy Skinned Salmon Teriyaki

The other best meal I've had in my life (besides lunch at L'Arpège) was at Eric Ripert's Blue at the Ritz Carlton on Grand Cayman.  I ordered the tasting menu, and course after course of the best seafood I'd ever had were brought out to me starting with his signature Tuna Foie Gras.

I'm usually not a fan of foie gras not only because of the animal cruelty behind it, but also because I just don't really think it lives up to the hype.  But I'll admit, that dish was the first time I liked foie gras.  

Sadly, I've never been to Ripert's outpost in New York, La Bernardin, but I will gladly try his genius recipe for making crispy-skinned fish.  The technique is surprisingly simple and uses a secret ingredient:  Wondra flour.  If you can't find this in your supermarket, you can substitute with all-purpose flour or fine cornmeal.  

I decided to take the recipe a step further and marinate the salmon first and then slather it with some homemade teriyaki sauce at the end.  I liked this technique because instead of a dry slab of salmon meat topped with a corn syrup sweetened soy sauce, you get a moist, flavorful fillet of salmon with a crispy skin. 

Crispy Skinned Salmon Teriyaki (adapted from Food52)
serves 4

4 six oz. skin-on salmon fillets
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake or rice wine
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed in 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon canola oil
Wondra flour for dusting
Chopped scallions and sesame seed for garnishing

Mix together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar and heat in the microwave on high for a minute.  Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.  Transfer to a small baking dish and add the salmon fillets, skin side up.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Remove the salmon from the baking dish and reserve the marinade.  Dry the skin with a paper towel and dust with Wondra flour, blowing off the excess.

Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and heat on medium until it starts to simmer.  Add the cornstarch slurry and stir until the teriyaki sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, oven- and flame-proof sauté pan on the stovetop until the oil is very hot, but not smoking.  Put the fish in the pan, skin side down, and press down on the fish with a spatula. Sear on the stovetop over medium heat until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. 

Turn the fish over, put the pan in the oven, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until a metal skewer can be easily inserted into the center of the fillet and, if left for 5 seconds, feels just warm when touched to your lip. 

Remove from the oven, turn the fillets over again, and brush with the teriyaki sauce.  Garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Next:  Salt and Pepper Tofu
Previously:  Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie
Last Year:  Mozzarella Stuffed Arancini (Risotto Balls)

Citrus Cured Salmon

Ever since I saw Jen's post for Thomas Keller's citrus marinated salmon, I've wanted to try it out.  I love cold-smoked salmon, and the thought that I could make something similar at home was really intriguing to me.  I was in Seattle again recently, and went to Pike Place Market specifically to get another Copper River sockeye salmon just for this purpose.  Since the salmon is never actually cooked, you'll want to get the freshest sushi-grade salmon available and treat it as you would if preparing sushi by keeping it chilled as much as possible.

Jen's recipe calls for a teaspoon and a half each of lime zest, lemon zest, orange zest, and grapefruit zest, but it's okay if you don't have all four citrus fruits; you just need about 2 tablespoons total of citrus zest for this recipe.  Since I had the time to cure my salmon for a full 24 hours, I chose not to press the salmon while curing it, trusting that time and salt would perform the necessary osmosis.

The change in texture of the cured salmon is pretty spectacular.  It's a lot more dense and almost gummy like pâte de fruit.  By itself, the cured salmon can be pretty salty, but served with some crème fraîche or sour cream and crackers, it makes for a wonderfully impressive appetizer!

Citrus Cured Salmon (adapted from Tiny Urban Kitchen)
serves 6-8

Zest from 1 pink grapefruit
Zest from 1 orange
Zest from 1 lemon
Zest from 1 lime
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 salmon filet, skin removed (about 2 lbs.)

Mix the zests, salt, and sugar together.

Feel along the salmon and if there are any pin bones, remove them with tweezers or pliers.

Line a large tray with enough plastic wrap to completely wrap the filet.  Spoon half of the salt mixture onto the tray in the shape of the filet.  Place the filet on top, and spoon the rest of the salt mixture on top of the salmon.  Spread the salt mixture evenly over the fish. 

 Wrap well with the plastic wrap, and transfer the tray to the refrigerator.  Let cure for 24 hours.

Unwrap the salmon and rinse under cold water.  Pat dry and transfer to a cutting board.  With a sharp knife, cut thin slices at an angle against the grain.

Serve with crème fraîche, sour cream, or cream cheese and crackers or bread.  I served mine with chive cream cheese and hearty crispbread.

After you've zested the fruits, you'll want to use them right away for something else or else they'll dry up really quickly.  I recommend juicing them; I used the juice to make an Atlantic Beach Pie!

Next:  Bill Smith's Atlantic Beach Pie
Previously:  Coconut Ice Cream with Mango Passion Caramel Swirl
Last Year:  Shakshuka Pizza

Orange and Fennel Salt-Baked Salmon

One of the best meals I've ever had was at Alain Passard's L'Arpège in Paris.  My friend Ellen and I were lucky enough to score reservations for lunch there and chose to go with the tasting menu.  After what seemed like a dozen divine courses, the main entree was brought out for us to see:

An entire salmon, roasted in a salt crust!  After they showed it to us, it was brought back to the kitchen and filleted and plated.  

The technique of baking in a salt crust seals in the moisture and essentially allows the fish to steam in its own juices.  Because you remove as much salt as you can before plating the fish, it doesn't get overly salty and is just seasoned perfectly.  Best of all, it makes for a really impressive main course at your next dinner party.

So when I was in Seattle a couple of weeks ago and found out that Copper River salmon was back in season, I knew I had to get one and try salt-baking at home.  I bought a whole fish from Pike Place Fish Co., had it packed in a 48 hour box, and hauled it all the way back home with me.

I was a little disappointed that the fish came headless, but in the long run, it was probably better for me since I was squeamish enough having to deal with the fins and all.  Thankfully it was already gutted and cleaned for me.

Regardless of whether you get a whole or headless fish, you definitely want to make sure the skin is left on so that there's a barrier between the meat and the salt crust. 

When the fish is done, the crust should be really hard; don't be afraid to give it a couple of good whacks to break it open.  If you're lucky like I was, the top of the crust will come off in one big piece.  I recommend doing this in front of your dinner guests, receiving yours oohs and ahs, and then bringing the fish back to the kitchen to plate.

I chose to pair the fish with an orange fennel salad so that the crunch and acidity would complement the rich, tender salmon. 

Orange and Fennel Salt-Baked Salmon (adapted from Food and Wine)
serves 5-6

One 3-lb. salmon, gutted and cleaned, with skin on
2 large oranges
1 large fennel bulb
48 oz. (3 lbs.) kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2 egg whites
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Slice one of the oranges and juice the other one.  Cut the feathery tops off of the fennel bulb and save.

In a large bowl, mix the salt, egg whites, and a 1/4 cup of water.  It should feel like wet sand.  Add more water if needed, to get a consistency where you can pack the salt together.  Spread about half of the salt on a large sheet pan in the approximate shape of the fish.

Remove the fins from the salmon and pat dry.  Stuff the fish with the orange slices and fennel tops.  Place on top of the salt.  Use the rest of the salt to cover the body of the fish entirely; you may leave the head and tail uncovered.  Pack the salt tightly to seal.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

In the meantime, slice the fennel bulb in half, remove the core, and slice the rest thinly.  Toss with the orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, and capers.  Salt and pepper to taste.

When the fish is done, allow to rest in the salt for 10 minutes.  Using a knife or spoon, tap the salt crust sharply to crack.  

Remove the crust and brush off any remaining salt.  Portion out the top half of the fish.  Remove the bones, orange slices, and fennel tops, and portion out the bottom half.

Serve the fillets with orange fennel salad on top.

Honestly, this is such a fool-proof way of cooking fish that I could've probably used regular farm-raised salmon and gotten similar results.  But just look at how red that Copper River salmon is!  I think the next time I get my hands on one, I want to try citrus curing it.

Next:  Speculoos (Cookie Butter) Ice Cream and Mini Stroopwafel Ice Cream Sandwiches
Previously:  Sesame-Crusted Tofu
Last Year:  Homemade Cronuts
Four Years Ago:  Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn)