SALMON IN RICE PAPER WITH SWEET & SPICY SAKE ESSENCE

SALMON IN RICE PAPER WITH SWEET & SPICY SAKE ESSENCE image

Categories Fish

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 18

Sake Essence
1 cup plus 2 tbsp sake
1 cup mirin
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chilies, seeded and minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp zucchini, finely diced
2 tbsp carrot, finely diced
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Salmon
4 salmon fillets
kosher salt
1/4 cup canola oil
4 rounds rice paper

Steps:

Sake essence In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine the sake, mirin, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and chili, bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to about 1/2 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the peppers, zucchini, and carrot until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and vegetables to the sake essence; set aside and keep warm. Salmon Remove skin, if not already done. Sprinkle both sides of each salmon fillet with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little of the vegetable oil, using 1 tbsp total for the four fillets. Take a dish large enough to submerge the rice wrapper. Fill with hot tap water. Soak rice wrappers (one at a time) for 10-20 seconds in the water, just enough to soften and become pliable. Wrap each fillet in rice paper folding to make a little package. Heat the remaining 3 tbsp oil in a heavy, 12-inch skillet over medium to medium-high heat until it's hot and shimmering but not smoking. Put the wrapped fillets in the skillet, seam side down, without touching each other, and saute, turning to brown top and bottom, until the rice paper is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side; don't overcook. Transfer to paper towels and let drain. Stir the chopped cilantro into the sake essence and spoon some onto each of four warm places. Put salmon fillet in the center of each plate, top with a cilantro spring and serve at once.