Ginger-Scallion Crusted Salmon with Ponzu Butter Sauce

[ironchef]

Serve this with hot steamed Jasmine or Basmati rice, or your starch of choice

Ginger-Scallion Crusted Salmon with Ponzu Butter Sauce and Sesame-Dill Cucumber Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the salmon:
4 each, 8 oz. Fresh Salmon Filets
2 Tbps. Frying Oil
2-3 Tbsp. Honey
Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste

For the Ginger Pesto:
6 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger, finely minced
4 Scallion stalks, finely minced
4 med. Garlic Cloves, finely minced
1/4 c. Peanut Oil

For the sauce:
1/2 c. Dry White Wine
1/2 c. Heavy Cream
2 med. Shallots, finely minced
1/2 c. (cut into 1" cubes, and kept COLD) + 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
3 Tbsp. prepared Ponzu Sauce (store bought)
Kosher salt to taste

For the salad:
2 Cucumbers, halved, seeds removed, and cut into thin julienne slices
2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp. Fresh Dill
1/2 c. Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 c. Mirin or Simple Syrup
1 tsp. White Sesame Seeds
1 tsp. Black Sesame Seeds
Kosher Salt to taste

Method:

For the Salad:

Combine everything except for the salt and cucumbers in a mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients togther until they are well incorporated. Add the cucumber, and toss until it is well coated. Refrigerate for at least two hours, and then let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Salt to taste just before service

For the Ponzu Butter:

In a small pot or saucepan, saute the shallots in the 2 Tbsp. of butter until just translucent. Add the wine wine, and reduce until almost gone, or about 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. remains. Add the heavy cream and Ponzu sauce, and reduce by half. Off the heat, whisk in the cubed butter until well emulsified. Season to taste with salt and keep warm.

For the Salmon:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the scallion, ginger, and garlic into a small stainless steel mixing bowl, and pat it down, so that it is all on the bottom of the bowl. Heat the peanut oil in a small saute pan until smoking. Add the oil to the ginger mixture to sear, but be very careful. Place the bowl in the kitchen sink while you do this to minimize oil splatters, and in case the oil climbs up the sides of the bowl. Reserve.

In a heavy sauce pan or skillet, heat the frying oil until lightly smoking. Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper, and sear both sides of the filets until light golden brown, about 30-40 seconds. Transfer filets to a cutting board or plate, and drain the excess oil from the pan. Using the honey, apply a light even coating to the top side of the filets. Evenly crust the salmon with the ginger mixture, then return the salmon to the pan, and place in the oven to finish, about 6-7 minutes for medium doneness.

To Assemble:

Evenly distribute the cucumber salad onto four plates. Place a salmon filet, crust side up, on top of the salad. Drizzle the ponzu butter sauce on the plate, around the food. Serve the rice either on the side, or place the rice in the middle of the plate with the salmon on top the rice, and the salad around that, with the sauce drizzled around everything.