Khaz Bay Salmon with Soba Noodles and Ginger Sauce

Ingredients

The Marinade:

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/2 cup lime juice

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 3 teaspoons brown sugar

• Salmon:

• 2 pounds skin-on Alaska salmon fillets (chinook, coho, or king), about 1 inch thick

• Vegetable oil

The Sauce:

• 3/4 cup dry white wine

• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

• 1/2 cup cream

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• Vegetables and Noodles:

• 1 8-ounce package of chucka soba or yaki soba noodles

• 2 tablespoons hot sesame oil

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

• 1 1/2 cup sugar snap peas

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

The Garnish:

• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers

Instructions

Whisk the marinade ingredients in small (1 quart) mixing bowl until well combined. Place the salmon in a casserole dish, coat it with the marinade, and refrigerate it for one hour.

Meanwhile, begin working on the sauce. In a medium (2- to 3-quart) saucepan, bring the wine to a boil over high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and boil for 1 minute. Reduce the heat medium-low and simmer the mixture until it is reduced by half. Add the cream and continue to simmer the mixture over medium-low heat (do not allow it to boil) until it is again reduced by half. Stir in the salt and pepper. Add the butter gradually, stirring in one piece at a time with a wooden spoon, until it is fully incorporated. Reduce the heat to low until the salmon is ready. Whisk in the lime juice just before serving the sauce.

After the salmon has marinated for one hour, pour off the marinade and set aside. Brush the meat side of the fillet with vegetable oil using a pastry brush, and grill it over hot coals, meat side down, until it is slightly browned about 3 to 4 minutes). Turn the fillet, skin side down, and brush it with the reserved marinade. Grill the fillet over low heat for 5 minutes. Check for doneness by gently breaking open the fillet its thickest part with a fork. If the meat is barely opaque, remove the fillet from the grill. If the fillet is still translucent in the center, grill it for 1 minute and re-check for doneness. Continue this process until the fillet is just opaque at its thickest part.

Meanwhile, soak the chucka soba or yaki soba noodles in a large (3- to 4- quart) saucepan filled with warm (not hot) water for 2 minutes. Drain the noodles and set aside. Preheat a wok or a medium (2- to 3-quart) skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil to the preheated wok or skillet and wait for 1 minute. Stir in the onion, mushrooms, and snap peas.

Sauté the vegetables over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are tender but still crisp. Set the vegetables aside. Add the drained soba noodles to the wok or skillet and coat them with the soy sauce and the remaining sesame oil. Add the vegetables to the wok or skillet and mix them into the noodles until they are well combined. Serve the salmon over the vegetable- noodle mixture and top the combination with warm ginger sauce.

Sprinkle the dish with the garnishes as desired.