Japanese Style Grilled Salmon on Soba Noodle Salad

Light, quick and perfect for a summer feast, this grilled salmon is a real keeper. Marinated for a few hours in a mixture of soy sauce, white wine, and mirin spiced up with green onions and fresh ginger, we liked it so much we could eat it every day and twice on Sundays. It's perfect on a bed of soba noodles garnished with a selection of fresh veggies.

The only thing is I'll be letting Big Guy do the grilling from now on. The hair appointment I booked for this week could very well be cancelled because I did something quite stupid again...yes, again. You see I oiled the grill a little too much then threw the marinated salmon on without wiping either the grill or the excess marinade off the salmon and the result was a gigantic whoosh of roaring flame. It did a rather good job of incinerating my bangs, my left eyebrow and those blessed little stray hairs on my chin never mind nixing the need for the wrinkle removing dermabrasion I've been thinking about putting on my bucket list. 

The upside to the near incineration was crispy crunchy skin on the salmon which made a perfectly wonderful garnish to the bowl. 

In case you're wondering why Big Guy wasn't doing the grilling in the first place...well he was exhausted. The reason you ask? Well, being kitchen sinkless, doing dishes has taken on a whole new meaning. I've been performing the task in the master bathroom using Big Guy's camping out dish pan and drainer, and dumping the dirty dish water down the toilet when I'm done. The only problem is that on Friday I managed to miss a small measuring spoon that self flushed itself along with the dishwater and got caught on it's way through. 

Big Guy tried his best to remove it on Saturday using a plumber's snake and was unsuccessful. In the process he destroyed the porcelain making a new throne the order of the day and thus the beginning of the end of his relaxing Sunday. When the toilet was being removed, half the flooring went with it, so to make a long story short, 5 trips later to Home Depot, a final run to Ace Hardware, and 12 hours later we now have a new toilet in the bathroom, that's sitting proudly on new flooring. 

As you can imagine, it's been quite the weekend. Hey, gotta run! I've a bunch of dishes to wash and I'm thinking maybe this time I'll do 'em in the bathtub. A lovely new clawfoot tub would be a great replacement for the corner garden version we have currently, or maybe I'll use the shower. Wouldn't ya' just love one of those steam shower units? Just kidding...honest!

Japanese Style Grilled Salmon on Soba Noodle Salad from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from John Ash’s From the Earth to the Table)

Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dry white wine

 1/4 cup mirin

2 tablespoons sugar

3 green onions including white and green parts, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

Zest and juice of 1 small lemon

4 – 5 ounce salmon fillets with skin

Combine marinade ingredients and place into a container that will hold the fish. Check salmon for bones and remove as necessary. Place into marinade and refrigerate covered for 2 to 4 hours, turning fish occasionally.  To prepare, remove fish from marinade and pat dry. Place onto hot grill and grill approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until just done (it will be translucent in the center). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Soba Salad:

4 ounces of soba noodles cooked per package directions and cooled

1/2 cup julienned carrots

1 can bamboo shoots, well drained

3 green onions, sliced

Fresh spinach

Dressing:

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey or sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Combine dressing ingredients in a small container and shake well to mix. Set aside. Place spinach leaves into bottom of a bowl and arrange cooked soba noodles on top and garnish with carrots, bamboo shoots, and green onions. Place salmon on top and pour dressing over all. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Stromboli 

Two year's ago - Chicken Marsala

Comments

[Nancy]

That sounds like an episode from "I Love Lucy". You hadn't planned on renovating your bathroom - or had you??!! I was looking for a comment from the Big Guy, but it seems like he is happy to be at work today.

[June]

Nancy you're right, we hadn't planned on doing much of anything in the bathroom but now that it's begun....LOL I'm quite surprised not to see a comment from too and figure he's likely thinking "outa' sight, outa' mind".

[Lea]

OOOHHHHH that salmon looks so good!!!!!! I think Sweet William would love it, too. Gotta get him to fire up the grill one day soon = when I get to get some salmon!
What a funny story you tell! I bet the bathroom is looking spiffy now - and a claw-foot tub would be extra nice! - hey - I have my Grandmother's old claw foot tub half buried in my yard with a Mary statue in it!
Now, about that steam shower - I think it is a must to keep your skin nice and moist in the desert...

[June]

Lea - I knew you'd see it my way. Big Guy's in mucho trouble now!

[Lorraine]

Um, where to start? The fish looks fantastic, and I can almost hear the crunch of that lovely salmon skin, but your sad/funny tale makes me want to just reach out and give you a hug.

[June]

Thanks Lorraine - hugs definitely accepted!

[Tom]

June even when things are chaotic in the house, you cook and dine in style. I love this recipe and especially look forward to trying the salmon marinade. Here's to a quick re-grow of your bangs! Take care.

[June]

Thanks Tom! The salmon marinade's a real keeper and as for the bangs...I'm thinking of getting a fireman's helmet, like maybe one with a light on the front. It'll hide the bang regrowth and light my way during the chaos. LOL