WEDNESDAY

Oven-Roasted Wild Salmon  |  Wilted Baby Bok Choy & Scallions  |  Orange-Hoisin Sauce

 

Once again, we are the benefactors of Dave’s fishing bounty!  His latest fishing expedition brought him out to the Farrollon Islands…

Lying 28 miles off the coast of San Francisco, the jagged silhouette of the Farallon Islands disrupts the clean line of the horizon. This foreboding knot of rocks sits amid one of the most productive marine food webs on the planet and hosts the largest seabird breeding colony in the continental United States.

Click here to watch as “QUEST ventures out for a rare visit to learn what life is like on the islands and meet the scientists who call this incredibly wild place home.”

It is about a 3-hour journey, by boat, from San Francisco in waters not meant for the novice sailor.  Dave’s time and effort was rewarded with this beautiful fish…

I confessed to Dave when he brought our package by that I am now spoiled when it comes to salmon, unable to purchase it from the market or even order it when dining out at a high-end restaurant, and he agreed.  There simply is no comparison to fresh, whole food.

As I have said before, with fish this fresh I wanted to keep the preparation simple.  We have come to prefer the oven-roasting method for cooking our salmon which yields moist, tender meat every time.  For tonight’s dinner, I prepared a light sauce made up of  freshly-squeezed orange juice, some hoisin sauce and freshly-grated ginger.  I brushed a bit of the sauce on the salmon before placing it in the oven and then reduced the rest which was drizzled over some wilted baby bok choy and scallions. Some brown rice would be a wonderful addition to this dinner but for our meal this evening we kept it light, enjoying simply fish and greens.

Orange-Hoisin Sauce {adapted from Bon Appétit}

• ¾ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice {4-5 oranges}
  
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons finely-grated fresh ginger

1. Whisk orange juice, hoisin sauce and ginger in a small bowl.  {Use this sauce, prior to reducing in the next step, to brush on the salmon before cooking…this will impart a light flavor to the fish}.
2. After basting fish, add remaining hoisin mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cook until the mixture is reduced to about 1/3 cup {about 2 minutes}.  Drizzle finished sauce over cooked salmon and greens.

 

Oven-Roasted Salmon  {adapted from The Kitchn and Food & Wine}

• Orange-Hoisin Sauce
• 1½ pounds salmon fillet, skin on
• Grapeseed oil

1. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator, unwrap it and let it sit on the counter to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Place a pan ½ full of water (I used an 8″ round cake pan) in the oven on the lower rack and preheat to 250°F.
2. Place a rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly brush some of the grapeseed oil onto the rack . Place the salmon fillet skin side down on the rack and brush a thin coat of the Orange-Hoisin Sauce over the salmon.
3. Place the salmon in the oven on the middle rack and close the door immediately. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. A thicker fillet will usually need a little longer time. Check for doneness at 20 minutes: remove the tray of salmon from the oven and close the oven door. {Since the oven is at such a low heat, you want to keep the door closed as much as possible.} Place a knife tip in the thickest part of the salmon and gently pry it open. If the salmon separates into flakes, it’s done. If not, return it to the oven for another five minutes.
4. When the salmon is done, transfer it to a cutting board {brush with a bit more of the reduced sauce if desired} and cut into individual serving pieces. To remove the skin (optional) work the edge of the spatula between the skin and the flesh. By gently wiggling, you should be able to lift the fillet clear of the skin.  Serve with Wilted Baby Bok Choy & Scallions {recipe follows}.

 

Wilted Baby Bok Choy & Scallions

• 3 baby bok choy, washed and each cut lengthwise into eighths
• 6 scallions {green onions}, washed and trimmed of root ends

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and then add 3 tablespoons of water to the skillet.  Add bok choy and scallions and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Using tongs, divide bok choy and scallions among individual serving plates.  Add a piece of salmon to each plate and drizzle Orange-Hoisin Sauce over fish and greens.  Serve immediately.