sticky salmon and braised red cabbage

Shack has left to work in Montreal for a week or so and do you know what that means? Oh sure, it means we  miss him and we both fall asleep on pillows wet with fresh tears.
IT MEANS WE CAN EAT FISH! WE CAN EAT SALMON! EVERY DAMNED DAY!!



Shack doesn't care for fish because he is insane in the membrane but The Kid and I, who are not,  love it more than almost any other meat, fish or fowl so we always celebrate - I mean, mourn- his leave taking with a meal of salmon. The Kid really loves teriyaki salmon and would happily just eat that every night until his father returns but we have to change it up a bit now and then. I saw this recipe for a glaze that sounded like a teriyaki like glaze but one that you drizzle over the hot salmon, fresh out of the oven as opposed to a thinner glaze that you baste with as it is cooking.

I was surprised at how thick the stuff got once it cooled down and it was a little difficult to manoeuvre but it was incredibly tasty and it just sort of melted over the hot fish once you got it on there. This salmon got the two thumbs up and I am going to try the glaze on some baked haddock later on this week. It would also be great on chicken I think but there will be no chicken this week. We can eat chicken any time because chicken is a Shack approved protein. Warning-  it is pretty salty so don't bother putting any salt on your fish before you cook it.

The braised red cabbage went with the fish quite nicely - it was a little sweet, a little spicy and the addition of cilantro kept it kind of fresh tasting. I will most definitely be making this cabbage again with other meats - I am thinking it would be great with some roast pork. Also, please excuse the lack of great photos but it is now winter here in Canada and that means it is totally dark long before we eat our dinner. I had cooked an extra piece and intended to photograph it the next day in the daylight but The Kid ate half of it and so I used the other half in some sushi rolls for his lunch. Thankfully I took some "in case of emergency" photos with my iphone or it would be like this meal never happened.

Let the fish eating begin!

Sticky Salmon
adapted from Soy Ginger Glazed Salmon on Food Swoon

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water1/2 cup soy sauce1/2 cup mirin
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic
1/2 seeded, minced jalapeño1 teaspoon ground coriander4 whole black peppercorns or 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper2 6-oz salmon fillets2 teaspoons oil (I use canola oil)1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Bring the brown sugar and water to a simmer in a pot. Add the soy sauce, mirin, ginger, coriander, garlic and jalapeño and peppercorns and bring to a boil.

Reduce back to a simmer and let it simmer away for about 25 minutes. Strain it with a fine strainer into a bowl and let it cool to room temp. It will be very, very thick - even thicker than molasses so don't panic. It just melts as soon as it hits the hot fish.

Preheat the oven to 400F
heat an oven proof pan over med high heat. Add the canola oil and when it's hot, put the salmon fillets in the pan, skin side up. Cook for a couple of minutes, gently flip the fish over so it's skin side down, and then put the pan into your hot oven. Finish it in your oven (ten minutes per inch of thickness will do it)
Remove the fish, plate it and drizzle each piece with a generous amount of your glaze.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Chinese Braised Red Cabbage
adapted from bbc good food

1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tbls grated ginger
37 ml rice wine vinegar
1 tbls soy sauce
2 tbls sugar
toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tbls sesame oil
handful chopped cilantro

Put all the ingredients, except for the sesame seeds and sesame oil, into a large , deep pan, bring to a simmer and cover, lowering the heat to low. Let it cook for about 25 to 30 minutes. Take the lid off and continue to cook, stirring, until the cabbage is covered with a sticky glaze.
Remove to a serving dish and scatter the sesame seeds and cilantro over the top. Drizzle with the sesame oil and serve.