Thursday Night Dinner Guests: Asian Grilled Salmon with Dang Cold Asian Noodle Salad

We had our friends Julia and Brian over for dinner last night.  We were excited to have them over and hear all about their upcoming wedding in August but I wasn’t going to have a ton of time to cook plus I needed to pick up groceries after work.

I had seen Ina Garten make this salmon recipe on TV and thought it looked delicious and couldn’t have been quicker!  The store had sockeye salmon available so I picked up 4 filets.  I think sockeye is the best salmon out there and definitely worth the money as a treat every now and then.  I didn’t make any changes to the salmon other than grilling it on the grill pan.  I cooked the salmon for about 5 minutes on one side and 3 to 4 minutes on the other side.

To accompany our salmon I found this cold Asian noodle salad that I thought would be a nice accompaniment. Given how quickly soba noodles cook, I figured this salad could come together quickly.  Only a few minor changes — I omitted the peanuts and, because I somehow lost my hot chili oil in our move, I added a couple of squirts of one of my faves, Sriracha Chili Sauce.  I used a whole red pepper and some more cabbage than the recipe called for.  The salad was very tasty and paired nicely with the salmon.

I also roasted some asparagus to round out the meal.

It was great to see the soon-to-be married couple and hopefully they enjoyed the meal as much as I did!

Asian Grilled Salmon
Barefoot Contessa

nocoupons

• 1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons good soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don’t worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Dang Cold Asian Noodle Salad
Guy Fieri

• 1 package soba noodles
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced or julienned
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced or julienned
• 5 green onions, bottom 4 inches, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced napa cabbage
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or julienned
• 1/2 cup julienned bok choy
• 1 cup bean sprouts, optional
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
• 4 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, for garnish

In a medium stock pot, boil water, add salt and cook noodles. When finished, place noodles in an ice water bath to cool. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, hot chili oil, hoisin and extra-virgin olive oil. Mix thoroughly and then combine prepared vegetables and noodles.

Garnish with sesame seeds and peanuts.