Miso Glazed Salmon with Chinese Butter Fruit Dressing
Butter Fruit is the name given to the Avocado by the Chinese as imports of the native American fruit have soared in recent years; a burgeoning middle class has only recently discovered it.
The key to making this dish is having ripe avocados and fresh salmon, and time for the marinade to work its magic and for the dressing flavors to meld and marry. You can get all the prep work done in advance and then actual preparation of the dish at the last minute is easy, and takes very little effort to produce dramatic results. It's therefore a great dish to consider if you're having company over for dinner.
Americans don't know very much about miso. Some people know it by ordering miso soup, which is common in Japanese and Sushi restaurants as an appetizer. Others may have had miso salad dressing without really knowing what it was. And as a cooking ingredient, westerners know relatively little about miso and there is a lot to know.
The basic ingredients of miso are fermented soy beans with salt and a grain such as rice, wheat or barley. But that's like saying beer is made from water, hops, yeast and grains like rice, wheat or barley. No two beers taste alike because the grains used, the ratio of recipe ingredients and the fermenting and aging processes are all widely variable. The same holds true for miso.
Smart Miso
The flavor range of miso can be fruity, sweet, savory, salty or earthy. And also like beer, miso can come in a variety of colors like white, red, yellow and brown, with lighter colors denoting lighter flavors and conversely, darker colors having a heavier, heartier tang.
With this recipe, I used a miso product that comes in a convenient pouch with an easily removed and reusable cap, called Smart Miso. It’s made in Japan and comes in various blends. I decided on one that was labeled "Full Bodied/Dark Aged" made from Soy and Rice.
Miso Glazed Salmon with Chinese Butter Fruit Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 6-oz fresh salmon filets, skinned
- 1/4 cup dark, full bodied miso paste (like, Smart Miso)
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (like, Kikkoman Less Sodium)
- 2 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar (like, Marukan Seasoned Gourmet)
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 finely chopped green onion
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
- 1 ripe avocado, seeded and pulp removed
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise (like, Kraft)
- 1 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar (like, Marukan Seasoned Gourmet)
- 1 tbsp Asian chili-garlic sauce (like, Huy Fong)
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (like, Kikkoman Less Sodium)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, add the miso paste, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and sesame oil. Whisk until combined.
- Add the salt, pepper and chopped green onion and mix well.
- Place your salmon filets in a zip-lock bag and pour in the marinade. Remove as much air as possible from the bag allowing the fish to come completely in contact with the marinade.
- Seal well and refrigerate for three hours.
- Mash the avocado in a small mixing bowl until it has a more or less smooth consistency.
- Add the vinegar and using a wire whisk, blend the two together until the avocado becomes creamy without any lumps.
- Add the mayonnaise, chili-garlic sauce, soy sauce, honey and powdered ginger. Blend everything together with the whisk until thoroughly homogenized.
- Add the avocado oil last and whisk to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours.
- Pre-heat an oven to 375°F.
- Remove the salmon from the marinade to a broiling pan treated with the non-stick spray. Discard any remaining marinade.
- Bake in the top 1/3 of the oven for 13 - 15 minutes.
- Turn the broiler of your oven on high and broil the filets for 1-2 minutes until the tops are a little crispy and the marinade has glazed.
- As the filets come out of the oven, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.
- To serve, spoon out 3-4 tablespoons of the Butter Fruit Dressing and place in a comma shape on a dinner plate, then gently position the salmon filet on top.
Notes
- In altitudes above 5,000 feet, add ten degrees to cooking temperature and 2 minuted to the cooking time.
