ginger-scallion crusted salmon

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• cucumber salad:
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup mirin (japanese rice )
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
• 2 cucumbers, halved, seeded, and cut into very thin slices
• ginger crust:
• 1/3 cup minced fresh ginger root
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• salmon:
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 4 (8 ounce) center-cut salmon fillets
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ponzu butter:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white
• 3 tablespoons ponzu sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• kosher salt to taste

Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Ready Time: 3 hrs 35 mins


• to make the cucumber salad, stir together sesame oil, dill, rice vinegar, mirin, and sesame seeds in a glass or plastic bowl; add cucumber, and toss until well coated. cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
• to prepare the ginger crust, stir together the ginger, green onions, and garlic in a sturdy, metal bowl; set aside. heat 1/4 cup peanut oil in a small saucepan over high heat until it begins to smoke. remove from heat, and carefully stir in the ginger mixture; set aside.
• preheat oven to 425 degrees f (220 degrees c).
• heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large, ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. season salmon fillets to taste with salt and pepper. sear salmon until golden brown on both sides, 30 to 40 seconds per side. transfer to a plate, and wipe excess oil from skillet. spread honey over top of fillets, then evenly spread with reserved ginger crust.
• replace salmon into the skillet, and place into the oven. bake until the center of the salmon turns opaque, 6 to 7 minutes.
• meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in shallots, and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. pour in white , then simmer until nearly evaporated. add the ponzu sauce and heavy cream, reduce by 1/2. remove from heat, then whisk in cold butter pieces until dissolved; season to taste with kosher salt.
• to assemble the dish, season the cucumber salad to taste with salt. divide the salad evenly four plates, spreading it out into a 4 to 5-inch circle. drizzle the ponzu butter the bare area of the plate, around the cucumber salad. place a salmon fillet, crust-side up, on top of the salad, and serve.