Asian Springtime Salmon Salad

By JimMac

Ingredients

• Salad:
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (make sure you buy a nice strong Asian variety- some sesame oils are too mild)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon light sesame seeds
• 2 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded
• 2 large yellow bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded
• 2 large orange bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 6 ounces feta cheese, diced (about 1 1/2 cups), plus 2 ounces coarsely crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup mixed olives
• 1 1/2 4.5-ounce bag spring mixed greens
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil, divided
• 1/4 cup walnut oil (amount acutally used will vary)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Mix all of the ingredients together (except the salad ingredients). If you want to make a thicker dressing, add in a little bit of mayonnaise. Take a fillet of fish and remove the skin and pin bones. Lay the fish onto a secure cutting board. I place a little bit of mesh rubber netting (like shelf liner) down to secure my cutting board. Cut a small slit in the tail end of the fish. Hold your knife at about a 15-degree angle and slice upward in one fast stroke. Remove the skin and discard it. Remove the pin bones with a pair of needle-nose pliers or Japanese style tweezers. Slice the fish into angled fillets. Place the fish slicees into a plastic bag with some of the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. Remove the fish and pat dry. Sear the fish fillets in a nonstick pan that has been heated to medium high with a little bit of oil. Place the “presentation” side of the fish down first. Turn the fish once with fish tongs to finish cooking. In the meantime, dress the salad greens with a bit of rice wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a bit of the Asian dressing to the greens. Toss in some favorite springtime ingredients. On the show, we had figs, raspberries, blackberries, and Asian pears in our salad. Sprinkle a few extra toasted sesame seeds on top of the seared salmon and place it in the center of your salad.


The Salad:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Place all peppers, cut side down, on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast until peppers are tender and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes on baking sheet. Peel peppers; cut each half lengthwise into 4 strips. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in small bowl. (Peppers can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill). Place the salad greens in large bowl. Toss with the remaining grapeseed oil only until the greens are lightly but thoroughly coated. Add in the walnut oil and the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange greens on large platter; top with peppers. Sprinkle the feta cheese and olives. This can become a main dish salad easily with the addition of a small piece of grilled fish or chicken.