The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Fish gets tasty with miso and lime juice
Fish gets tasty with miso and lime juice
Salmon season has arrived, and the markets are brimming with gorgeous wild varieties like King Salmon and Coho, which are perfect for grilling, poaching or even simply cooking in a lightly-oiled pan.
With summer here, fire up the barbecue and master the grilled salmon — it’s an incredibly versatile blank canvas that you can use in everything from light salads to heady curries to spicy tacos.
And grilling salmon is quite easy, as long as you follow the rule to pull it off the grill just a minute before you think it’s actually done.
Coat salmon fillets with a little oil, salt and pepper, and cook until the salmon is almost opaque; “cook until flaky” is bad advice that will leave your salmon overcooked and strong-flavored.
One of our summertime favorites is Easy Summer Miso Salmon, which pairs miso with refreshing lime juice to create something between a creamy sauce and a citrus vinaigrette.
Miso, or fermented soy bean paste, adds a ton of savory flavor (“umami”) and depth, while the lime juice keeps the recipe bright and summery. There’s garlic and ginger for flavor, but the shallot keeps the flavor more Californian than Asian, although you could certainly add soy sauce, Mirin (Japanese wine) and chopped cilantro if you wanted to. Serve with brown rice, grilled veggies or a bunch of vegetable “noodles” for a filling and healthy summer supper.
Miso paste comes in various colors, with white and yellow being the mildest
varieties, and perhaps the most widely available ones at the local supermarket. Keep a container of miso in the fridge (it lasts for months), and you can try
adding a spoonful to soups, stews, dressings and dips, or even just stir it into a cup of boiling water and add a splash of soy sauce and rice vinegar for a warming
quick broth.
Miso is low in calories, and offers a little protein and a smattering of minerals, including sodium, so you won’t likely need additional salt when using miso paste.
Try this week’s recipe and add two new tools to your repertoire: grilled salmon and miso.