SALMON WITH CRISPY SKIN | STIR-FRIED BABY BOK CHOY

Recipes from here and here

Bok Choy:

Ingredients

1 lb. baby bok choy

1 1/2 T. soy sauce

1 T. chinese rice wine or mirin

1/2 t. sugar

1 T. shallot oil

2 confit'ed garlic cloves

1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled, minced and mashed into the garlic cloves.

2 t. sesame oil

2 t. toasted sesame seeds

Methodology:

Trim the bottoms off the bok choy bunches.  Separate into leaves and wash well.  Drain.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine and sugar and set aside.

Heat a large skillet or wok on medium-high until a droplet of water sizzles and evaporates on contact.  Add the cooking oil and the garlic and ginger, and mash and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the bok choy to the skillet and cook, tossing constantly, for 2 minutes.  Add the sauce and cook for another 30 seconds.  Turn off the heat and sprinkle with sesame oil and sesame seeds.  Remove the bok choy to a serving platter or bowl, and cover to keep warm.  Cook the sauce down until it coats the back of a spoon, and pour it over the bok choy.  Serve.

Salmon:

Ingredients:

Skin-on salmon filet, 1-2 lb., and ~1" thick.

2 t. cooking oil

Methodology:

Open a window and turn on your fan, as this recipe will fill your kitchen with fishy odors.

Pat the salmon fillet dry and season it well on both sides.

Preheat a light coating of cooking oil in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers.  

Lower the heat to medium-high and lay the fish into the pan away from you, skin-side down.  Press down firmly on the fish with a spatula to prevent the skin from curling.  Cover fish with a paper towel to catch grease spatters.

Cook for 6 minutes on the skin side, or until the center of the fish reads 120ºF.  Flip away from you and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Remove from heat and rest for a few minutes, before serving skin-side up.

LEMON COCONUT POPPY SEED MUFFINS

Modified from this recipe

Ingredients:

2/3 c. + 2 T. granulated sugar 

zest and juice of 1 large or 2 small lemons

2 c. all-purpose or pastry flour + more to prepare pan

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. buttermilk

2 large eggs

2 t. coconut rum (or vanilla)

8 T. coconut oil + more to prepare pan

2 T. poppy seeds

2 T. large coconut chips

Glaze (optional):

1 c. confectioners sugar

1 T. coconut rum

1-2 T. lemon juice

Methodology:

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Prepare a 12-mold muffin pan by oiling with coconut oil and then flouring, shaking remaining flour out of pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, rub the granulated sugar with the lemon zest until the sugar is lemon scented.  Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, buttermilk, eggs, rum, coconut oil and poppy seeds.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together, stirring until just combined.  Divide batter between muffin cups.  Sprinkle each muffin with granulated sugar and a few shards of coconut chips.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden, the coconut chips are toasted, and a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then trace around each muffin with a knife and remove from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

Cool completely before glazing (optional step).