Salmon with Wasabi Sauce and Baby Bok Choy

By pattie_d

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons wasabi paste
• 1 piece (1 1/2 inches long) fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 skinless salmon fillets, (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 heads baby bok choy (1 1/4 pounds total), halved lengthwise

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 50mins
Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a blender, combine mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, wasabi, ginger, and 1 tablespoon water. Blend until smooth, adding up to 2 tablespoons more water to thin sauce, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season salmon with salt and pepper; place in skillet, flat side up. Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Wipe out skillet with a paper towel. Add mirin and soy sauce, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Add bok choy; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 3 to 5 minutes; discard liquid. Drizzle salmon with wasabi sauce, and serve with bok choy.

Here, zesty wasabi sauce punches up seared salmon; you can also drizzle it over any simply cooked fish, shellfish, or poultry. Mirin, a mild, low-alcohol Japanese cooking wine made from rice, smoothes out and lightly sweetens simmered dishes, sauces, and soups.

To cook vegetables like bok choy so they're light but tasty, go beyond simply steaming: Simmer them with fat-free flavorings such as mirin and soy sauce.