Wednesday, September 7, 2005

Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

4 servings

Take advantage of the wild salmon available in stores now to make this Japanese-inspired dish. Best choice is king salmon, though sockeye, whose season is ending soon, and coho, which is just starting to arrive, are good as well.

Serve with steamed white rice and steamed bok choy. Adapted from "Salmon," by Diane Morgan (Chronicle Books, 2005).

2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated ginger root

1/2 cup mirin* (may substitute 1/2 cup pale dry sherry and 1 tablespoon sugar)

4 center-cut salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each), skin on and scaled, pin bones removed

2 tablespoons lime juice

6 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste, or more to taste*

In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the rice wine vinegar, ginger and mirin. Place salmon in a resealable plastic bag or a nonreactive baking dish large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the fillets, turning to coat all sides. Marinate the salmon at room temperature for 30 minutes but don't let it sit for more than 1 hour or the acid in the marinade will begin to "cook" the fish.

Just before broiling the fish, arrange the top oven rack 3 to 4 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the lime juice, the remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, honey and wasabi paste. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and turns syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, remove the salmon from the marinade and wipe off excess marinade. Place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side down. Broil until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the salmon over and broil until almost opaque throughout, but still moist, about 3 minutes longer (don't worry if the skin starts to char).

To serve, remove and discard the salmon skins. Turn the fillets over and place on individual plates. Drizzle some sauce over the top and serve immediately, with extra sauce for the table.

*NOTE: Mirin, a sweet rice wine, and wasabi paste are available in the international section of some large supermarkets and in Asian specialty stores.

Per serving: 343 calories, 35 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 94 mg cholesterol, 2 g saturated fat, 513 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Marcia Kramer; e-mail questions tohttp://food@washpost.com -- Marcia Kramer