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DINNER
We eat salmon a lot, and in a lot of different ways. We also make our quick homemade Teriyaki sauce, which is:
- Soy sauce or Tamari
- Sake or dry white wine
- Maple syrup
- Crushed garlic
- Crushed ginger
- Mix equal parts of soy, wine, and maple syrup; add garlic and ginger to taste.
Salmon
We like salmon cooked pretty lightly, so we first sear it skin-side down in olive oil. As soon as the skin side begins to get pink, we flip the filet over, peel off the skin, and cook the second side for another minute or two. We add a splash of the Teriyaki just before the fish is finished, then remove and plate the salmon. We add the rest of the Teriyaki sauce to the pan, to heat it and reduce it a bit. Drizzle some sauce over salmon, and serve the rest on the side.
Risotto
Risotto rice is cooked differently from Japanese or Chinese rice.
- Soak a pinch of saffron threads in a tablespoon or two of warm water.
- Sauté sliced mushrooms and set aside.
- Sauté some finely chopped onion in butter.
- Add dry Risotto rice to onions in pan and coat the rice with the butter.
- Add saffron and its soaking liquid, and a quarter cup or so of white wine.
- Add warmed vegetable or chicken stock a quarter or half cup at a time, and wait for rice to absorb all the liquid before adding more.
- When rice is fully cooked, add the mushrooms.
WINE
A Columbia Crest Pinot Grigio (previously reviewed) went perfectly with the smoky and smooth tastes of both the risotto and the salmon.