Maudy's Cooking Journal!

I love when Earth Fare has great deal for salmon. Last week, they had a half-price deal for wild caught sockeye salmon. It is hard to get fresh seafood in Knoxville, so we are happy that Earth Fare has some options. Their salmon is kinda pricey, so we don't want to miss the great deal. In case you don't know, sockeye salmon is also called red salmon. The color of the live fish when spawning really is deep red. I suspected that the salmon was tinted when I saw it the first time then the butcher explained that it was their natural color. It was the carotenoid pigments from their diet that causes the red color.


I found some articles online saying that sockeye salmon was so flavorful so it deserved to be eaten as is. That's what I did. I only light-seasoned it with five-spice powder, salt, and pepper to let the natural flavor shine. Growing up with spicy (heavily seasoned) food, I almost couldn't resist myself not to add salt nor hot sauce. It took me a while before I could taste the true flavor of the fish. It was good, and more importantly, it couldn't be simpler than that.

Five-Spice Salmon
Adapted from: The Best Ever Low Fat

Ingredients:
1 pound Sockeye salmon, cut to 6
2 tsp five-spice powder
salt and pepper
3 large leeks, shredded
3 large carrots, shredded
1 cucumber, cut into strips
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs vegetable oil

Rinse the salmon cuts under running water then rub them on both sided with Chinese five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and sautee the onion until fragrant. Add the shredded leek and carrot and soy sauce then stir fry until just tender. Transfer the vegetables to a serving plates.
Using the same pan, place the salmon, skin-side up in the pan. Cook until golden brown on 1 side, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook until it feels firm to the touch and the skin is crisp if desired. Serve the salmon on a bed of stir-fried vegetables. Garnish with cucumber strips.