Grilled Sesame Coated Salmon
This recipe is almost too simple and delicious to be true, but it is the real McCoy. And, it is from my Alaskan test kitchen.
Fresh salmon (wild Alaskan sockeye preferably), sesame seeds, and wasabi make for a beautiful presentation and delectable main course. I like to serve the fish on a bed of quickly sauteed bok choy with ginger and lemongrass. The bed of greens add a great texture and some additional flavors, but the salmon is amazing with any salad.
The prep is simple and the whole recipe requires 15 minutes, start to finish. It is a wonderful summer time dinner recipe. It serves 4 as a main.
Here is what you will need to make this mouth watering main course:
1.5-2 pound salmon fillet (wild Alaskan sockeye or wild salmon)
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
2 tablespoon white and black sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
Optional Ingredients for Sauteed Bok Choy
2 pounds bok choy, thoroughly cleaned and roughly chopped
2 teaspoon avocado, peanut, or other high heat tolerant oil
2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoon finely chopped lemongrass, tender portion of the stalk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
Prepare your gas grill by preheating it for 10 minutes (if you are using charcoal, you know what to do). While the grill is heating, rinse the salmon fillet with cold water and pat dry. Place the fillet on a tray or plate that accommodates its size. Drizzle soy sauce slowly over the fillet to avoid it spilling off the salmon. Use your fingers to distribute the soy sauce over the surface of the fillet and allow it to absorb for 1 minute. Now, do the same with the sesame oil. Then, evenly sprinkle wasabi powder over the fillet (if you love wasabi use extra). Evenly distribute the sesame seeds over the fillet. Sprinkle the fillet with salt and get ready to grill.
Reduce the grill to medium-low heat and place salmon, skin side down, on the grill. Grill for 5 minutes with closed lid. At 5 minutes, open the lid and poke the fish with a fork. If the fish is still moist but begins to flake with a fork (it should still present a bit of rare meat), remove and let sit the fillet rest, uncovered for 2 minutes before serving. The fillet will continue to cook while it reaches serving temperature. Salmon will be medium-rare when an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion reads 120 degrees F. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
If you are making the bok choy, prepare it while the salmon rests. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add the bok choy, ginger lemongrass, and salt. Continually stir the bok choy for 1 minute or until it just begins to soften. Remove from heat and divide evenly amongst plates. Top with a quarter of the filet and serve immediately with a sprinkle of cilantro leaves. Enjoy.