In Memory Of My Dad, II -- Ginger Salmon (Finally)

Here's the post I was drafting up before my unexpected surgery last Monday. I'm finally back on solid foods, I'm not in constant pain, and I should be back at work on Monday. Today I left the house for the first time since coming home from the hospital to see my alma mater's spring musical, and tomorrow I might attempt play practice. We'll see.

Thanks for the support, everyone! We now return to your regularly scheduled programming, almost a week late, heh:

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I didn't even realize the coincidence here: This salmon dish that I'd had bookmarked to try from How Sweet It Is saved for my next post, not even realizing I had it scheduled to post at the end of this week. Wednesday would have been my Dad's 52nd birthday--and last year I honored his memory by cooking fish for the first time.

And, yet again, I have another fish dish.

Took my pictures too late in the day, oh well.

I'm not religious, and I describe my spirituality as agnostic at best--but sometimes I think I believe in signs and such. The universe surely works in mysterious ways, and definitely whenever my Dad is involved. Little coincidences like this make me smile.

Dad, doing what he loved best: digging up rocks.
This was from one of our many trips to Herkimer NY to mine for the
"Herkimer Diamond"--a quartz crystal stone shaped like cut diamonds

So, I suppose, unintentionally, this one's for you, Dad! To recap: My dad was a terrible cook. He put love into every dish he made, and my brother and I forced it all down as best we could. Fish was the one exception. And salmon was his best, for sure. Usually he accompanied a grilled salmon with a creamy dill sauce, but I'm sure he would have appreciated this Asian-inspired blend.

In 2006, just one year before he passed away.
This was my high school graduation, one of the last pictures I have of him.

I didn't even realize the recipe had a glaze until I was done cooking the fish. Thankfully I had some honey and was able to throw it together. It really helped amp up the flavor of the dish. I usually just bake salmon with some breadcrumbs and lemon, but this has definitely inspired me to see what else is out there! For the side I made some quick pickles with rice vinegar and salt and let them sit in the fridge for a bit. A nice little side!

Ginger Salmon
(Adapted only barely from How Sweet It Is Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon)

No ingredients picture, so here's a lovely picture of the marinade!

• 1 1/2 pounds raw salmon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• A few squeezes of orange juice
• 1 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 4 green onions, sliced

-Heat up your grill! Prepare a layer of tinfoil on it to prevent messing it up too much.

-Combine olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar and whisk well until combined. Pour all into a ziplock bag with salmon, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

There was some sort of skillet thing I used on my friend's grill

-Place salmon on your grilling device. Cook until opaque and easily flakable with a fork--I have no idea how long this takes because the grill was low on coals when I cooked it.

Glaze

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• Couple squeezes of orange juice

-Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over salmon.

I assume pictures like this will show up on one of those
"Terrible Amateur FoodPorn" websites...