Roasted Ginger Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter Sauce

Having an intense amount of salmon in the freezer, I decided that I must start cooking. And what better to cook than when the ladies are coming for a Stitch n' Bitch evening! I made this on Wed. 1/24/07, with raves from everyone...even those who are not the biggest fans of ginger. I made the recipe for 6 people...and it was more than enough! I had leftovers that I promptly made into 'salmon pot pie.' Thanks Dad for the idea! I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe!

Roasted Ginger Salmon with Ginger Soy Butter Sauce
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (I used king salmon cuts.)
Essence, recipe follows
1 cup fresh grated ginger (I used just a bit less than a cup...a little goes a long way with the ginger flavor.)
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1/2 to 1 cup bread crumbs, enough to bind the crust (I only used 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (Definitely use more cilantro!)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ginger Soy Butter Sauce, recipe follows
6 fried whole arugula leaves
1 tablespoon brunoise red peppers
1 tablespoon brunoise yellow peppers
1 tablespoon chopped chives
(I didn't use any of the garnishes above. Peppers are expensive in Kodiak, but if they were cheaper I would have definitely attempted the brunoise peppers.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the salmon with Essence.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the ginger, zests and cilantro together. Stir in enough bread crumbs to bind the crust. Season with salt and pepper. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sear the salmon for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and cover the entire top side with the crust. Place in the oven and roast for 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare. The crust should be golden in color. Remove from the oven.

Spoon a small pool of the Ginger Soy Butter Sauce in the center of the plate. Drizzle the rim with the sauce. Place the salmon in the center of the sauce. Garnish with fried arugula, brunoise peppers, and chives.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning): (Makes more than enough for this recipe...so make sure that you have something to store the extras in or just the recipe by thirds.)
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thymeCombine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup
Recipe from New New Orleans Cooking, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Ginger Soy Butter Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 ounce minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 orange, juiced
1/2 pound butter
Salt and pepperIn a sauce pot, combine the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and shallots together. Bring the liquid up to a boil and simmer the liquid for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the sauce is dark in color and reduced by half. Remove from the heat and mount in the butter cubes. Stir in the orange juice and strain through a chinoise. Season with salt and pepper

Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
(Yes, it took me longer than 15 minutes to prep...so much for paying $300 to learn to chop...I knew I should have just gone to work with my sister...or James...oh, but therapy that may have ensued from those hours!)

Episode#: EE2377 Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved