Grilled Sesame Glazed Salmon with Wasabi Butter

[ironchef]

Just in time for salmon season. Try and get wild Alaskan King salmon if available. If your local market carries Copper River, better yet. If Atlantic salmon is the freshest available then you could use that too.

Grilled Sesame Glazed Salmon with Wasabi Butter

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

For the Salmon:
8 ea., 7 oz. Fresh Salmon filets, skin and bones removed
1/3 c. Sake
1/3 c. Mirin
3 Tbsp. Tahini
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 Tbsp. Fresh Ginger, finely minced
2 tsp. Black Sesame Seeds
2 tsp. White Sesame Seeds
Kosher Salt to taste

For the Sauce:
1 c. Dry Rielsing
1/2 c. Heavy Cream
1 c. cold Unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 Tbsp. Wasabi paste
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
Kosher Salt to taste

Method:

In a saucepan, combine the sake, mirin, tahini, honey, and ginger. Simmer until the mixture thickens, approximately 10-15 minutes, then stir in the sesame seeds and cool in a ice water bath. Reserve.

In a seperate saucepan, combine the wine and cream and reduce to 1/2 cup. Over low heat, whisk in the cold butter, a few cubes at a time, until all of the butter is emulsified into the sauce. Make sure the sauce does not boil. Whisk in the wasabi and soy sauce, and season to taste with kosher salt. Whisk in more wasabi if desired. Reserve sauce and keep warm.

Prepare grill to medium heat and oil the grill's grates. Season the salmon on both sides with salt, brush with the glaze on both sides, and place on grill. Cook salmon for about 3-4 minutes, then flip and glaze the grilled side. Cook the salmon for about 3-4 more minutes while continuing to glaze. Serve immediately with the wasabi butter.

[Alix]

Oh my. This sounds delicious. I have a lovely salmon fillet in my freezer and some tahini looking for a home. Thanks ironchef.