Alaska Spring Salmon Salad from Chef Kirstin Dixon

A Spring salad from owner and chef Kirsten Dixon from their Alaska Lodges.


Asian Springtime Salmon Salad ( and Early Spring Salad)

Asian Springtime Salmon Salad

The taste of ginger, soy, and sesame were made for salmon! This marinade is easy, delicious, and good on fish as well as stir-fry beef or flank steak.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil (make sure you buy a nice strong Asian variety- some sesame oils are too mild)
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon light sesame seeds

Instructions

Mix all of these ingredients together. If you want to make a thicker dressing, add in a little bit of mayonnaise. Take a fillet of fish and remove the skin and pin bones. Lay the fish onto a secure cutting board. I place a little bit of mesh rubber netting (like shelf liner) down to secure my cutting board. Cut a small slit in the tail end of the fish. Hold your knife at about a 15-degree angle and slice upward in one fast stroke. Remove the skin and discard it. Remove the pin bones with a pair of needle-nose pliers or Japanese style tweezers. Slice the fish into angled fillets.

Place the fish slicees into a plastic bag with some of the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. Remove the fish and pat dry. Sear the fish fillets in a nonstick pan that has been heated to medium high with a little bit of oil. Place the “presentation” side of the fish down first. Turn the fish once with fish tongs to finish cooking. In the meantime, dress the salad greens with a bit of rice wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a bit of the Asian dressing to the greens. Toss in some favorite springtime ingredients. On the show, we had figs, raspberries, blackberries, and Asian pears in our salad.

Sprinkle a few extra toasted sesame seeds on top of the seared salmon and place it in the center of your salad.