suemunzlinger's Recipe

Asian Glazed Salmon

Category: Main Dish

Use center-cut salmon fillets of similar thickness so that they cook at the same rate. The best way to ensure uniformity is to buy a 1 1/2- to 2-pound whole center-cut fillet and cut it into 4 pieces. Prepare the glaze before you cook the salmon. If your nonstick skillet isn't ovensafe, sear the salmon as directed in step 2, then transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet, glaze it, and bake the salmon as directed in step 3.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
4 center-cut skin-on salmon fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each (see note)
Ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 recipe glaze (see below)

Instructions

1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch in small bowl.

Pat salmon dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over top of flesh side of salmon, rubbing to distribute.

2 Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place salmon, flesh side down, in skillet and cook until well browned, about 1 minute. Using tongs, carefully flip salmon and cook on skin side for 1 minute.

3 Remove skillet from heat and spoon glaze evenly over salmon fillets. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until center of thickest part of fillets registers 125 degrees on instant-read thermometer and is still translucent when cut into with paring knife, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer fillets to platter or individual plates and serve.
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Glaze
1/2 to 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
a pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

1 Toast sesame seeds in a nonstick skillet over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, tossing seeds frequently until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove to a cup and cool.

2 Combine 1/2 cup tamari, pineapple juice, ginger, sugar, garlic, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes, or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from heat and stir in the toasted sesame seeds; put glaze aside to cool.


White, Out

Do you wonder what the white stuff that sometimes mysteriously forms on salmon. This film is a protein called albumin. When the muscle fibers in the fish are heated, they contract, pushing the moisture-filled albumin to the surface of the flesh. Once this protein reaches temperatures between 140 and 150 degrees, its moisture is squeezed out, and it congeals and turns white. Not only does the white albumin detract from the salmon’s appearance, but its formation indicates a loss of moisture in the fish.

Cooking salmon at a low temperature can mitigate albumin coagulation. Gentle cooking results in less intense muscle contractions, so that less of the albumin moves to the surface of the fish and more of it stays trapped in the flesh. The fish not only stays more moist, but it looks better, too.

Source : Test Kitchen