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Spice Up That Salmon! Sear-Roasted Salmon Filets with Ginger-Lime Sauce

There was a time when salmon was a mysterious and special dish to me.  But after being disappointed one too many times ordering it at a restaurant, I started cooking it at home.   I had one recipe that I really loved, but that too started to get old and boring.

If you’re tired of the same old salmon dish or having it ill-prepared at a restaurant, try this Asian-inspired Sear-Roasted Salmon Filets with Ginger-Lime Sauce Recipe.  The combination of fresh herbs and ginger balance the beautifully rich soy-lime glaze without overpowering the delicate salmon flavor.  A quick sear and 10 minutes in the oven is all you need to present a delicious plate of pink salmon topped with bright green herbs that’s also pleasing to the eye.

In season all year round and naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids, a variety of salmon recipes is always great to have.  Just make sure you stay away from farmed or Atlantic salmon as they are on Monterey Bay’s Seafood Watch list.

Ingredients:

Salmon:
3 1/2 lbs. filet of salmon, skin removed
Kosher salt and pepper
Glaze Mixture:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (can substitute lemon juice)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Herb Mixture:

3 Tablespoons grated ginger
2 Tablespoons finely minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped mint
3 red jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup peanut oil for pan-frying salmon

Methods/Steps:
Preheat the oven to 425°F

Salmon:
Remove the pin bones from the salmon.  Cut the salmon into six-ounce filets (either by slicing narrow pieces across the whole filet, or cutting the filet in half lengthwise first and then slicing square pieces).  Set aside until ready to fry.  Just before cooking, season generously with salt and pepper.

Glaze:
In a medium non-reactive bowl, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, corn syrup, lime juice, salt and brown sugar.  Stir to mix and dissolve sugar and salt.  Add peanut oil.

Herb Mixture:
In another bowl, combine the grated ginger, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, chopped mint, chopped jalapeno and the coarsely chopped peanuts.

Sear Salmon:
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add 3-4 Tablespoons of peanut oil.  (Oil should be about 1/8-inch high in the pan).  Heat the oil over high heat until it is very hot.  Presentation side down, add the 3-4 salmon filets to the pan (do not crowd the pan), and pan-fry until golden brown and crisp (about 3 minutes).  Do not move the salmon around in the pan or the crust will not form. When an opaque pink rim about 1/2-inch-thick forms around the bottom edge of the salmon, gently transfer it to a sheet pan with the browned side up.  Finish browning the remaining salmon filets.

Roast Salmon: Transfer sheet pan(s) with the seared salmon to the oven and finish cooking, about 8-10 minutes or until the white proteins begin to emerge from the fish.  Salmon should still be rare (dark pink) in the center.  Remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

To Serve: Combine the herb and glaze mixtures right before ready to serve.  Serve each piece of salmon with a generous spoonful (about 2 ounces) of sauce.  Garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Serves 8.

Coupons Get a Makeover – Foodies Rejoice for Online Daily Deals

Oh, how my heart flutters every morning as I click to open my e-mail inbox. What could it be that brings this little bit of joy?  This morning it was $100 worth of services at Kush Day Spa for $50 through BloomSpot and seven drop-in classes at Athletic Playground for $35 through Groupon, but it’s usually the restaurant deals that make me swoon.

If you are anything like us here at Parties That Cook, you love a great deal.  With the way the economy has dipped in recent years, daily deals and online specials have popped up in cities across the nation.  Sites like Bloomspot, LivingSocial, and TownHog work out 50+% off discounts directly with businesses so they can bring you daily deals for interesting things to do in your city.  Foodies can try the latest trending restaurants without breaking the bank – order away!  Need to de-stress but don’t want to stress out your wallet? Book a massage and other spa services without the guilt you normally get from spending all that green on yourself.

Better yet, take a gander at how Groupon came together to make it easier for people to enjoy great things in their community.  Groupon harvests the power of collective buying to get huge discounts so that you are only able to get your Groupon if enough people join in on the deal.  They take that communal aspect one step further and use their consumer collective to support community causes by featuring local charities.

Last but not least, there’s always the trusty Yelp Special.  For those who refuse to try anything new without first having a number of recommendations, the Yelp Special is your best friend.  I recently got $20 off a smog check through a Yelp offer, but you can find offers for everything from salons to restaurants.

Parties That Cook currently has an offer for $20 off our Cinco de Mayo Cooking Class at Tres Agaves in San Francisco.

So if you’ve been dying to try one of our cooking classes, take advantage! We’ve got great classes lined up all the time, so don’t forget to check out our Cooking Classes page for upcoming events like Tantalizing Market Tapas (SF Farmer’s Market), Mother’s Day Brunch and, of course, our popular Singles Gourmet Dating and Couples Date Night cooking classes.