Miso Salmon and Soba Noodles

You know how sometimes you just need to make yourself a plate of something that will stick to your ribs? You know how often times that something turns out to be a pasta dish that not only sticks to your ribs, but goes directly to the pit of your stomach and then, miraculously to your hips and thighs? Yeah ... me too. I know alllll about it ... but wait! There has to be a way to have your pasta and not feel guilty.

So where did this one come from? Our friend, Dom, has asked us to choose a recipe that is healthy and
flavourful to add to June's Random Recipe roster. In my search for a pasta fix, I looked for a healthier take. And this is what I came up with ...so here you go, dearie ! It may be a little late, but it's for you.  I have boiled up the soba noodles, sliced and brined the vegetables, and marinated the salmon fillets! Cheers! Here's to your health and a trimmer backside for me, my dear blogging friend!

This meal isn't as high in fats and cholesterol as my usual pasta fix. It's a healthier and more fiber-rich alternative. It has a pasta element, but doesn't push the caloric envelope, is made with soba noodles which are a gluten-free alternative to conventional noodles. The salmon has an interesting miso/mustard crust that seals the moisture and flavour into the fillets. To boot, the seafood (I bought wild caught) has healthy omega-3 oils. Plated, the dish has three distinct flavour hits that come together to make it really interesting. Yes, this is a stick to your ribs meal that is memorable. I won't lie, though, you have to like Asian pickle, miso paste, and sesame oil and seeds - those are the key players that transform the main ingredients.

There were a couple of things I wish I could change about this dish, though ... I love pickles, but having the radishes and peas lose their brilliant colours didn't impress me ... the taste was great, but I wonder how I might keep the colours and still get the flavour ? The other thing I would like to do is have a crunchier miso crust on the salmon, so I think I might recommend decreasing the bake time and ramping up the broiler for the last couple minutes to make the miso crust gain a brown crisp .

Every recipe can be tweeked ... right?

Miso Salmon and Asian Pickle with Sesame Soba Noodles

Ingredients:

For the Fish:

4 salmon fillets

200 g. white miso paste

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

For the Pickle:

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

200 ml. water

A generous pinch Kosher salt

100 ml. rice wine vinegar

50 g. brown sugar

150 g. sugar snap peas, washed and strings and stems pulled free

10 perfect radishes, washed tipped and quartered

For the Noodles:

340 g. soba noodles

1 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Making the Dish:

1. Mix the miso paste, mustard, and vinegar in a bowl to make a smooth loose slather.
2. Wash and dry the salmon fillets and place them in an oiled baking dish, skin side down.
3. Slather the flesh of each fillet, cover and refrigerate for one hour.
4. Place the water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the brown sugar and vinegar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.
5. When the brine has cooled to a bit. Place the pan in a large bowl of ice, add the peas and radish quarters and stir to coat the vegetables with the pickling bring.
6. Weight them down with a bowl and let them cool to room temperature in the brine.
7. Preheat the oven to 400° F and place the rack in the top half of the oven.
8. Bring a large pasta pot of salted water to a boil.
9. Place the salmon in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
10. While the salmon bakes, time the cooking of the pasta so that it is hot when the salmon comes from the oven.
11. Toast the sesame seeds and set them aside.
12. Cook the pasta and then toss the drained hot pasta with the sesame oil and half the sesame noodles.
13. Plate the pasta on four dinner plates, lay a piece of salmon over top and  arrange some of the cool pickle around the edges.
14. Sprinkle the rest of the sesame seeds over top and serve with a pot of tea.