10-Minute Soy-Ginger Salmon
OK, I know I’ve said this before but I’m going to say it again: I used to hate fish.
All of it. Blech. Yuck.
Slowly I weaned myself into the seafood genre, starting with tuna. And it was on accident. Then crab cakes. Then swordfish. Then salmon. Then a bite of someone else’s grilled something-or-other, but only because it didn’t smell fishy.
I then realized the reason I hated fish was ‘cuz I don’t like FRIED fish, and that’s what they served at the school cafeteria.
But nowadays, a good fish entree is the one thing I look for in fine restaurants; because when done right, fish is absolutely delightful and super healthy too.
However, one thing is ordering fish in a restaurant, another one is cooking it home.
It’s not because cooking fish is intimidating, a lot has to do with the smell — that strong, unpleasant odor that can fill your entire kitchen (not to mention your entire apartment) for a few days.
The “lovely aroma” that can turn your enjoyable home into a stinky mess.
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When I cook fish at home, to avoid the odor I always use the freshest fish possible.
The golden rule is: fishy smells are bad. Briny, oceany smells are good.
Other than that, I go for techniques that use lower heat, such as steaming, poaching, en papillote or slow roasting.
The hotter the sear, the more smoke and smell comes off the pan.
But poaching has to be one of the easiest and best ways to cook salmon.
I love it because it’s such a clean and unadulterated way of cooking. The integrity of the fish is not lost if poached correctly and you end up with the most delicious piece of tender fish that tastes great.
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This soy-ginger sauce is definitely my go-to sauce with poached salmon.
It’s super easy, tasty and gives you a glazed-caramelized like texture without the need to sear or broil the salmon at high temperatures.
Every single time I make it, it win raves. It’s so delicious and so easy.
A total no-brainer.
You could serve this along with a light salad, rice or a big helping mashed sweet potatoes if you'd like something even more filling.
This is one of those recipes that will probably start making its way into your homemade dinner rotations. It features two things I love: it's delicious and super easy to make!
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Ingredients
Serves 4
4 skinless fresh wild salmon fillets (6 ounces each and about 1-inch thick)
Sauce
3 tablespoons wheat-free soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder*
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
Chopped scallions for garnish
*arrowroot powder acts like cornstarch
Directions
Bring the water to a gentle boil in a large saucepan and drop in the salmon.
Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on size.
It can cook very fast so watch it carefully as it is best to err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking. If it is undercooked, you can always throw it in for an extra minute or two.
Fish is done when the flesh has turned from translucent to opaque and, rather than feeling squashy to the touch like raw fish, it feels slightly springy. It should still be juicy. Fish that is resistant and flaky is overdone.
In the meantime, in a small saucepan combine all sauce ingredients and cook for 2 minutes or until it starts to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Set aside.
Using a wide slotted spatula, remove salmon from water place on a plate, spoon sauce on top, sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve.
Nutrition facts
One serving (i.e., one fillet) yields 340 calories, 24 grams of fat, 1 gram of carbs and 28 grams of protein.
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