Baked Salmon and Warm Wild Rice Salad | Recipe
A healthy salmon and rice salad recipe, featuring baked salmon, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, carrots, brown and wild rice.
Baked salmon and rice is a classic combination. And, if you are a novice in cooking salmon, and dare I say, still learning to enjoy it, this recipe is a great place to start. However, before we get too far into the recipe, let's start with the basics, and talk for a moment about how to shop for salmon. After all, quality ingredients are the foundation of a great meal.
When shopping for fish, freshness is key. If your fish monger hands over a stinky filet, a filet that perhaps smells a little too fishy, don't be shy to politely hand it right back. Our noses are an excellent indicator of what's good, and what's not. Trust your senses. I always purchase wild-caught fish and shell fish, as advised by well-known nutritionist and author Marion Nestle in her wonderful book "What to Eat." Nestle explains that wild-caught fish have less PCBs (pollutants), not to mention the fact that farm-raised salmon are "confined in pools of antibiotics, pesticides chemicals, and wastes..." Ummmmm...no, thank you. I'll definitely pass on the fish that live out their lives in what seems to be a septic water pin.
Now to cook it. Salmon and teriyaki work wonderfully together, and if time allows, marinating it in a quick and easy teriyaki marinade will impart a great deal and depth of flavor. If not, no need to fret. You picked out a great , fresh filet and you are well on your way to a wonderful baked salmon dinner.
In preparing the salmon for baking, one should run their fingers up and down the filet, checking for pin bones. If any are found, use a pair of kitchen tweezers to remove, taking care not to do too much damage to the filet in the process. And, do not worry about removing the skin from the salmon. The filet will easily slide away from the skin after the baking is done.
Onto the remaining elements of the dish. Salmon is a hearty fish, and stands up well to ingredients with big flavors like Brussels sprouts and asparagus. Carrots and shallots add just a touch of sweetness, and a mix of brown and wild rice give the dish body.
This dish makes for a lovely, healthy and flavorful dinner, and is a wonderful way to convert any salmon skeptic into a salmon lover. Please, enjoy.
For the Marinade (optional):
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Teriyaki sauce
4 green onions, chopped (white and green parts only)
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup canola oil
For the Rice:
3 cups unsalted chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 cups mixed wild rice
For the Vegetables:
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
5 ounces asparagus, cut on a bias into 2" pieces (about 1 cup)
2 cups store-bought, shaved Brussels sprouts
1 cup store-bought, matchstick (julienned) carrots
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Salmon:
1 pound wild-caught salmon filet
2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Generous pinch black pepper
Method:
If using the marinade, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, Teriyaki, green onions, sugar and ginger. Slowly, in a very thin stream, whisk in the canola oil until emulsified. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel and place in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Pour the marinade over the salmon, remove as much air as possible and seal the bag. Place on a rimmed baking sheet or a container large enough to house the bag. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°, and have ready a rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Start the rice by adding chicken broth (or water), butter and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt to a large saucepan over high heat. Allow it to come to a boil, add the rice, stir for 1 minute and reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a proper simmer. Cover the rice and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the rice from heat, and set aside, covered for 10 minutes. Once the resting time is up, fluff the rice with a for and set aside until ready to use.
In the meantime, begin on the vegetables. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the asparagus and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, carrots and shallot to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes more, stirring often. Add the cream, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, mustard, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the pan, and stir until the majority of the sauce is absorbed. Set aside until ready to use.
Remove the salmon from the marinade (if using). Pat the surface of the salmon dry, and drizzle with 2 teaspoons oil, and sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and a generous pinch of black pepper. Transfer to the rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 8-11 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your salmon. The salmon is cooked through when it is opaque and easily flakes with a fork. Set aside to cool slightly. Use a fork to break the salmon filet into large chunks.
Transfer the rice, all of the contents of the vegetable sauté pan and the flaked salmon to a large bowl or serving platter, and gently toss to combine. Serve and enjoy.
Serves 6.
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