This is a great recipe to whip up for your special someone; this salmon dish looks impressive and pretty, yet it is incredibly easy to make. No special someone? Make this on Valentine's Day anyway with a friend. Be forewarned: This dish may require a trip to Whole Foods for the nori, sesame seeds and higher quality salmon filets (the closest one is on 10th and South Street).
Ingredients:
6 salmon filets, about 4 oz. each
1?4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry (or rice vinegar if you would rather drink the alcohol you buy)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
2-3 scallions
3 sheets nori, cut in half (the seaweed used to wrap sushi rolls)
Sesame seeds for sprinkling
Sesame oil
Directions:
Place the salmon in a baking pan. Peel the ginger; cut the hairy end off the scallions and chop both the ginger and the scallions up small, using the white and pale green portions only. Mix the ginger and scallions with the soy sauce, fish sauce, sherry/vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pour over the salmon, making sure it is coated all over. Cover the baking pan and refrigerate for about 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take the salmon out, and clean the baking pan. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and wrap each filet in a piece of nori several times around. Pour enough sesame oil into a skillet (cast-iron, preferably) to thinly coat the bottom of it, then turn the heat on and wait until the oil gets exceedingly hot (smoking, literally). Then place the salmon in the skillet and cook, turning once, until the salmon is brown and crackly - about 3 minutes total. Sprinkle each filet with about 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds. Lightly oil the baking pan you marinated the salmon in, throw the salmon back in and bake for about 3 minutes, until the salmon is bright pink. Serve and enjoy.
