Georgiana Santana fell in love with a fish dish in the unlikely place of a hospital cafeteria. The salmon served at the Queen’s Hospital Harvest Room had a sauce made with miso and lemon. "The sauce was wonderful," Santana said. "It was creamy and slightly sweet. The salmon with that sauce was just so delicious and though I don’t normally cook fish, I would really like to make this dish if I can find the recipe."
Queen’s chef Walter Kaneshiro sent over said recipe, although portioned for 32 pounds of salmon. I’ve cut it down to a more manageable formula that feeds six. And having tried it, I have to say, Santana is right about the sauce. It would make a saltine taste like something special.
It’s a cream sauce but doesn’t come across as rich, thanks to the lemony edge. It would be good over almost any fish, roast chicken or even steamed vegetables. I could see it standing in for hollandaise for those who don’t want to deal with the complications of an egg-based sauce. Kaneshiro suggests serving the dish with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.
Today’s kitchen-science tip: Do not try to reduce the fat in this recipe by substituting milk or half-and-half for the cream. The combination of heat and the acid in the wine is likely to cause milk or half-and-half to curdle. The higher fat content of cream prevents this reaction. I speak from experience here.
You could cut some fat by thickening the sauce with a cornstarch-water slurry instead of making a roux with butter. Or skip the thickening step and use the sauce as a thin glaze.
QUEEN’S SALMON WITH LEMON-MISO SAUCE
2 pounds salmon, cut in 6 fillets
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup flour, for dusting
1/4 cup vegetable oil
» Lemon Miso Sauce:
1/2 cup white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon white miso
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
To make sauce: Bring wine to boil in small pot; let cook a few minutes to reduce alcohol. Reduce to simmer and slowly add cream. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, to reduce mixture.
Meanwhile, melt butter on medium heat in a small skillet. Add flour and stir to make smooth paste (roux).
Stir miso into cream mixture until dissolved. Stir in lemon juice. Add roux and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.
To prepare salmon: Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper; dredge lightly in flour. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high. Carefully place fillets in skillet, cooking 2-3 minutes per side until done. Serve with sauce. Serves 6.
Approximate nutritional information (not including salt to taste and assuming all the sauce is consumed): 550 calories, 42 g total fat, 14 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 33 g protein
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Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. Send requests to "By Request," Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813. Email bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.
