Asian Salmon

As a youngster, I lived on canned tuna and before that carrots but that a whole other story...My mother claims that at lunchtime I would bring her the tuna can and she'd gladly make me tuna salad. Being a foodie herself, I'm sure she was very happy that the daily request wasn't PB&J. Then my dad, unfortunately, got involved. He proceeded to show me a whole fish skeleton and that was it. I was horrified to learn that my sweet can of deliciousness had originally come from something with nasty, smelly bones?! No more fish for me. For a long time. I've come to my senses and really enjoy seafood but assumed that my kids would not. Boy, I was wrong. My little peanut can eat her weight in fish so I'm trying to find all sorts of kid-friendly flavors and this is Barefoot Contessa recipe is a winner especially when served with some fluffy rice and steamed snow peas.

Asian Salmon


2 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillet (1 1/2 inches thick)
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce (go easy because it's salty)
1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste (I used Srircha Hot Chili Sauce - a new fav)
1/2 cup sliced scallions (2 scallions)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (8 large cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)


Line an 8 by 12-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the salmon in the pan.

In a mixing cup, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, scallions, garlic, and ginger. Pour 1/3 of soy sauce mixture over the salmon fillet. Sprinkle the panko evenly over the fillet. Pour the rest of the soy sauce mixture evenly over the panko. Be sure to soak the panko completely and if any runs off, spoon back onto the salmon. Set aside for 15 minutes, leaving all the sauce in the pan.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Roast the salmon for 18 to 20 minutes, or for about 12 minutes per inch at the thickest part of the salmon. The internal temperature will be 120 degrees F on a meat thermometer when it's done. Remove from the oven, wrap tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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