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Spicy and sweet, the icing makes this scorched salmon dish easy but elegant.
The frosting is the star of this easy and elegant dish of scorched salmon. It’s spicy and sweet like any good Asian-style icing, but the addition of whole-grain mustard takes it over the top. The tiny mustard seeds glow in the sauce and “explode” in your mouth, releasing chunks of intense, strong mustard flavor when you bite into them.
What you’ll need to make scorched salmon
Before you begin, a few words about the ingredients. First, most supermarkets now sell pre-cut salmon in individual portions, which makes it so easy to prepare. Try to find uniform pieces cut from the center that are narrow and tall instead of wide and flat: they will fit better in the pan and make a much prettier presentation. Also, make sure they are cut into small portions (6 ounces or less), otherwise they will be difficult to cook completely on the stove. (If you want to use larger portions, it’s best to seal them off one side on the stove, and then flip them over and finish cooking in a 350-degree oven.)
Secondly, if you’re not familiar with whole mustard, it’s mustard in which mustard seeds are mixed whole rather than ground to create a rustic, grainy texture. I like Maille Old Style Whole Grain Dijon Mustard if you can find it. And finally, mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine that can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets.
How to make scorched salmon
Start by doing the frosting, which is adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. Whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, sherry vinegar, whole wheat mustard, water, cornstarch and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Be sure to do this out of the heat: cornstarch won’t dissolve in hot liquid and you won’t want lumps.
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Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer until thick, about a minute
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Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon fillets with kosher salt and then place the salmon in the pan. Cook until golden brown on the first side, about 4 minutes. <img
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Turn the fish with a spatula, reduce the heat to medium and then cook until the fillets feel firm to the touch, 3-4 minutes more.
Transfer the fillets to plates and cover them generously with the frosting. You’ll have plenty of extra icing as it makes an excellent sauce for anything else you’re serving with the fish, in this case, plain roasted broccoli and jasmine rice.
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Serve and enjoy!
Note: I like to sauté the fish for a crispy top crust, but you can also bake, roast or roast it.
It can also give you Interest
- Restaurant style pan-style
- Southwest maple glazed salmon with pineapple sauce Grilled sauce with
- Thai sweet chili glaze
- Mirin glazed salmon
salmon
