Black and Orange: Black Sesame Seed and Sea Salt-Crusted Salmon with Wasabi-Lime Sauce
[Photo: Kerry Saretsky]
For this black and orange recipe, the raw orange color of the salmon is preserved, as this salmon is just-seared and served nearly raw. The black sesame seeds not only pop with Halloween color, but they create a crisp, nutty crust, and as they toast in the pan, they imbue the salmon that distinctive Asian toasted-sesame flavor.
The sauce cuts the fishiness and oiliness of the salmon, with the zing of lime and rice wine vinegar, and the sweetness of mirin. This dish is light, perfect as a starter to share, with lots of flavor, and a beautifully spooky presentation.
Black Sesame Seed and Sea Salt-Crusted Seared Salmon with Wasabi-Lime Sauce
-serves 2 to 4 as a starter-
Ingredients for the Black Sesame-Crusted Salmon
10 ounces boneless, skinless salmon fillet
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
Coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Ingredients for the Wasabi-Lime Sauce
Juice of 1/4 lime
1 1/2 tablespoons mirin
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder
Procedure
1. Crust the salmon with the black sesame seeds and sprinkle with salt. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until it is very hot, and then add the oil, and the fish. Sear 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side, then remove to a plate to rest.
2. While the fish rests, whisk together the lime juice, mirin, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and wasabi powder.
3. Slice the fish into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the fish on a plate, and serve the sauce alongside. Garnish with a bunch of whole chives.
About the author: Kerry Saretsky is the creator of French Revolution Food, where she reinvents her family's classic French recipes in a fresh, chic, modern way. She also writes the The Secret Ingredient and the French in a Flash series for Serious Eats.
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5 Comments:
This just might be the recipe that gets me to like cooked salmon! Thanks for posting it.
jackiecat at 11:21AM on 10/25/09
Black sesame seeds on orange food makes the prettiest garnish.
meleyna at 12:43PM on 10/25/09
Mmmm, looks great. I'll have to make this soon - for Halloween, and to support my Philadelphia Flyers!
unpocojmoney at 5:15PM on 10/25/09
When you put this many flavors on salmon, you will never even taste the salmon. This seems like some chef version of mental masturbation.
"The sauce cuts the fishiness and oiliness of the salmon"
If you are buying salmon that tastes fishy, you are doing it wrong and need to stop. The oil/fat content of salmon is the best part. Ever heard of Omega 3.
Smoked Kenai River Sockeye Salmon
climbhighak at 8:58PM on 10/25/09
I made this tonight, and it was *wonderful*! A big hit, and super easy to make. The recipe was easy to follow; thank you for the good writing.
To the commenter who said that the recipe was overkill, I have to say I almost agreed at first. I cringed when I read the line "the sauce cuts the fishiness..." because salmon isn't that fishy in the first place. But, I gave the recipe a try and it turned out great. The sauce is much milder than you'd think, and the short cooking time makes it possible to still enjoy the flavor of the salmon in its natural state.
I highly recommend this!
birdie at 10:06AM on 10/28/09