July 2023:
RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, GAIL BLAKELY
This is wonderful summer dish, as it can be served right after cooking, or warm, or even room temperature. It comes together very quickly: when you are making the lo mein, use some ginger paste and minced garlic from tubes (available in the produce section of the supermarket), if you so desire.
The vegetables in the lo mein can be changed according to what you have: grated carrots, sliced bell peppers, even thinly sliced celery—all these can be sauteed in the wok with the scallions. You can omit the broccoli and spinach if you want, but I think this is a good way to “eat the rainbow.” The salmon marinade can also be used with scallops and/or shrimp—then you have Seafood Lo Mein!
Jenny Shea Rawn has newly released cookbook. Coastal Kitchen is a fabulous book, and Jenny came to Highfield to cook from it, on the back porch, with me in June. On August 2, this summer, she will be at Highfield again, this time for a book-signing. Come meet Jenny, get your own copy—and a few more, for holiday gifts, perhaps?
Jenny's Salmon Bites Over 15-Minute Lo Mein
Ingredients
Grilled Salmon Bites
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ lb salmon fillet, cut into 1 to 2-inch chunks (skin on or off)
- Black sesame seeds and lemon wedges for garnish
15-Minute Lo Mein
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4-6 oz uncooked ramen noodles
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 8 oz broccoli flowerets
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 1 to 2 tbsp mirin
Instructions
Grilled Salmon Bites
- Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic; reserve a few tbsp in a small bowl for serving. Pour the rest of the marinade into a resealable plastic bag and add thesalmon; let sit 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat the grill to high and clean and oil the grates; place the salmon cubes on the grill and reduce the heat to medium high. Grill the salmon until it is cooked through, turning a few times. Remove from the grill to a serving dish and drizzle with remaining marinade; serve with lemon wedges.
15-Minute Lo Mein
- Combine the first five ingredients in a bowl or jar; whisk or shake to combine and set aside.
- Cook the ramen noodles according to package directions; place the spinach in the bottom of a colander in the sink and pour the noodles over the spinach. In the pan with the boiling water, add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes; pour that over the noodles and shake well.
- In a wok or large skillet, heat the sesame oil and sauce the scallions, reserving some of the green parts for garnish. Stir fry for a few minutes, then add the mirin and scrape the bottom well to deglaze. Add the cooked noodles and half the sauce; stir fry for a minute or two, then add the broccoli and the spinach, along with more sauce. Turn into a serving bowl and serve next to the salmon, or top the finished noodles with the salmon bites. Garnish with more sesame seeds and some freshly ground black pepper.