Crispy Salmon with Ginger Scallion Sauce

Every so often, one of us fights back against being tired and overwhelmed with distance learning kids, work and just the stress of the times. One way to do that is to set aside time to make a fun meal that we not usually invest in! Here is a recipe Betsy came up with to save the day (and also for our family to test out the organic Minnesota-grown baby ginger). It arrives frozen at peak freshness, all you need to do grate or chop off as needed and then freeze & save the rest!

It was also fun to have a new way to enjoy our salmon.

Oh, and Betsy made an apple pie!

It was a good night.

Ingredients

Sauce:

2 T coconut oil
2 t finely chopped ginger
2 t minced garlic
1/2 C chicken broth
1/4 C rice vinegar
1/4 soy sauce
1 T sugar
1/4 C chopped scallion

Fish & Marinade:

1 - 2 lb of salmon or trout - remove any skin and cut into 1" cubes
2 t salt
2 t finely chopped ginger
1/8 t sugar
2 t sesame oil

Fish Batter:

1/4 C flour
2 T corn starch
1/4 t baking soda
5-6 C of frying oil (we use about half coconut and half olive oil and then strain and store in the fridge for re-use after)

Instructions

Marinate the Fish:

In medium bowl, combine salt, ginger, sugar and sesame oil
Mix in with salmon cubes and marinate at room temp for 20 minutes (you can cover and refrigerate if you're able to marinate longer)

Prepare the Sauce:

Heat the 2 T of coconut oil in a small saucepan
Saute ginger and garlic until slightly cooked
Add broth, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar - bring to a boil
Remove from heat and allow to cool
Add chopped scallion just before serving

Fry Fish:

Heat frying oil to 400-425º (using a good thermometer) in a heavy deep skillet or wok
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, soda, 1/4 of water, 1/2 T sesame oil and a dash of salt (1/8t if you like to measure)
Mix into a smooth batter
Remove the fish from marinade, mixing into the batter bowl (leaving extra marinade behind)
Once the oil is up to temp, add several pieces to the oil at a time. Monitor the oil temp so it stays hot, but not such that it starts to smoke. Cook until crispy and golden brown, should be about 5 minutes.
Allow the first batch of fish to sit for a few minutes before checking the inside for your desired doneness. If you prefer less well done, increase the temperature of the oil to get a faster browning of the batter or visa versa. Don't cook below 375º or you'll have a hard time crisping up the batter.

Serving Tip:

Serve with the broth in small bowls to dip in. We enjoyed drinking the broth along with the fish almost as a 'side'.