Labor Day BBQ Woes No More: Miso-Glazed Salmon

First of all, sincere apologies to all of my readers for being so behind on my blogs! It has been a very busy summer with a lot of work travel and, of course, summer activities.  No excuse I know, but I can honestly say that time just flew away from me.  If you're a fan of my Facebook page, you've been able to somewhat keep up with what I've been up to with all the photos of the yummy places and food I've had these past few months.

I still can't believe that September is next week, heralding the beginning of fall.  As much as I hate to see summer go, this morning's cool breeze and slight chill made me really excited for the crisp fall weather and bundling up in my sweatshirt on the weekends.

Central Park on an early summer evening.

In the meantime, it's still summer! So for those last dog days of summer and your upcoming Labor Day barbeque, try my DELICIOUS, light and healthy miso-glazed salmon.  It is a great elegant and health-conscious alternative to the usual burgers, hot dogs and BBQ chicken you eat at most BBQs!  Now, I love all of those as much as the next person. But after a summer of BBQs with the same things on the menu I just want someone to break out of the rut and surprise me with something a little different that won't clog up my arteries. Trust me, your guests will thank you!

Since I live in a tiny studio in Manhattan, I don't have access to a grill. So you can make this anytime and anywhere.  :)    Once you marinate it, you need no more than 15 minutes before a pretty impressive dinner is cooked and plated for you and your family/guests.

You can also replace the salmon with black cod if you'd prefer.  Both are firm enough to stand being grilled without falling apart. I am usually not a fan of salmon since most people tend to overcook it.  But, I like the butteriness of the salmon paired with the saltiness of miso. The flavors just all come together into one perfect little bite. The crisp grilled skin adds a great texture and is one of my favorite things to munch!

Serve on top of sauteed bok choy and peppers alongside white rice. Bon appetit!!

MISO-GLAZED SALMON

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 pieces, 4 oz salmon fillets with skin, rinsed and cleaned 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable or canola oil

For marinade:
2 slices of ginger, skin removed and smashed
1/4 cup yellow miso paste
1 1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1/2 orange, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 cup boiling hot water

DIRECTIONS
1. Remove fish from refrigerator and season each side with salt and pepper. You should not be too liberal with the salt as the miso marinade contains a good amount of salt already.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, add all ingredients for the marinade and with a small whisk mix it all together.  The hot water will melt the miso paste and help bring it all together. Use a little more water if it is still too thick. It should have the consistency of a thin paste and stay on the fish.

3. Add the fish and make sure it is coated fully on both sides. Cover the top with plastic and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.  If you are rushed on time, you can marinate for 45 minutes-1 hour. The vegetables and rice can be prepared and cooked while you are waiting.

4. Preheat grill to medium. If the heat is too high, the fish will stick.

5.  Lightly brush the grill with oil to prevent sticking.  Once the grill is fully heated, lay fish on grill, skin-side up. Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes or until you see it become slightly opaque. Carefully flip the fish over and grill for an additional 4-5 minutes or until skin is crisp and slightly charred. If you have a thin fillet, make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

6. Plate the rice with vegetables next to it. Gently lay the salmon on top of vegetable bed, skin-side up.

NOTE: I like my salmon to be slightly firm to the touch so that it flakes apart easily when I use my fork. Both sides are a pretty pink color while the inside still slightly retains that gorgeous orange-pink color. If you prefer your fish cooked more, then I would recommend leaving it on for an additional 1-2 minutes.  I wouldn't recommend any longer as it will dry out the fish.  And there is nothing worse than that!