Sunday, March 28, 2010

Everyday Yumminess: Salmon with Udon

My Cookbook Adventure this week was one of those easy-yet-time-consuming meals, so I decided to use the down time to make something that I was suddenly craving: Soy-and-Ginger Glazed Salmon with Udon Noodles. It's a modification of a recipe from Food & Wine, and is so simple and delicious that every time I make it I find myself wondering why I don't make it more often. The marinade is a simple combination of soy sauce, sake, ginger, lime, and sugar.
I simplified it this time by using simple syrup (which I keep on hand for cocktails and whatnot) rather than heating the marinade to dissolve the sugar and then having to wait for the marinade to cool before adding the salmon. The salmon is cut into portions, then added to the marinade for a few hours.
When it's about time for dinner, the rest of the ingredients come into play...
The udon noodles are heated in boiling water, the spinach steamed until wilted,
and the salmon grilled or pan-seared until perfectly cooked.
At this point I usually bring the marinade to a simmer, then strain out the ginger and use the former marinade as a sauce for the noodles. A pile of noodles goes at the bottom of the bowl, is tossed with sauce, and is then topped with a pile of spinach and the salmon,
and the dish is finished with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
I'm a huge fan of pretty much every ingredient in this dish. I always forget how much I love udon noodles until I have them again, and they're perfect with the sharp citrus and ginger in the marinade and the rich salmon. Mmmm...

No comments: