Salmon with Blue Chair Fruit Plum Jam

I am always looking for new ways to use great food products-jam from Blue Chair Fruit, a local jam company here in Oakland, is one of them.

We were in Seattle a few months ago visiting friends. As a present for staying at our generous hosts house, we brought them Blue Chair Jam, needless to say they are powerfully impressed!  If you can get your hands on any of their jams, count yourself very lucky! Each jam is handmade, crafted with skill and perfection. Rachel, the owner, sourcing everything locally, and seasonally. They are fantastic jams, and there really is no reason to buy any other sort of jam! Honestly!

Robyn and I got some fresh Salmon from Pike's Place and cooked up this dish. The kicker was using Blue Chair Fruit Plum jam! It really made this dish!

This dish can be made on the grill or barbeque. It works equally well if you have a broiler on your oven with a flame. I used my oven with the broiler. Make sure to  re-position the tray in the oven so it is directly below the broiler, otherwise your fish will not caramelize properly.

Ingredients
Fresh salmon fillet (not a steak cut), cleaned and de-boned
Salt and Pepper
Blue Chair Fruit, Plum jam
2 lemons, sliced thinly
1/2 for juice


In an oven broiler
Place lemon slices on a cookie sheet. Lay the salmon on the lemon slices (this will prevent sticking). Adjust the rack so it is directly below the broiler.


Lay the fish on the lemon slices, skin side up and facing you. Salt and pepper the skin and place in the broiler.

Turn the broiler on HIGH. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the skin is cooked and puffy, but not charred.

Place additional lemon slices on the cooked skin. Gently flip the fish, so the lemon slices are now on the bottom. The flesh of the fish should be on top, with lemon slices. Remove the lemon slices on top. Squeeze any remaining juice from the lemon slices on the fish and discard.

With a brush, gently spread the plum over the flesh of the fish. The heat of the fish should make the jam a little runny. Give it a good coating of jam. Salt and pepper the fish again.

Place the fish back in the broiler and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the fish is cooked. I usually like my salmon slightly cooked, otherwise it gets too hard. You want the jam to caramelize a little.

On a barbeque grill

If you are using a grill, heat the charcoal until very hot. Lay the lemon slices on the grill in a rectangle pattern. Lay the fish on the lemon slices, skin side up and facing you. Salt and pepper the skin. Add some of the jam and gently spread it over the fish with a brush or butter knife. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Gently flip the fish. Take advantage of the lemon slices, it will make it easier to flip the fish.
Cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until done.

Miso-Citrus Marinade

This is a classic miso and sake marinade from Ming Tsai. The addition of the ponzu lends an acidic element which helps it "cook" the marinade into fish and animal protein. Its delicious!

Makes 5.5 cups

1 cup sake
1 cup ponzu sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups shiro miso (light miso)
3 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
1 cup grapeseed or canola oil


In a large bowl, combine the sake, ponzu and sugar. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the miso until smooth. And the ginger and whisk in the oil gradually. Store in the refrigerator.

This is excellent on fish, like Broiled Miso-Citrus Salmon

Broiled Miso-Citrus Salmon

I got this recipe from Ming Tsai's Simply Ming. Ordinarily, I am not a big fan of fusion food, but this was really tasty. I made Umeboshi Rice with it as a side, but the color didn't come out very pretty.








Ingredients
4 salmon fillets (5-8 oz), cleaned and deboned
2.5 cups Miso-Citrus Marinade
Freshly ground black pepper
1 plastic bag

Directions
We get a CSA (community supported agriculture) once every two weeks, and they pack all of our lovely vegetables and fruits in these big plastic bags. Instead of throwing them away, I usually keep them for purposes like this! If you don't have a large plastic bag, a ziplock bag will do in a pinch.

Pour 1/2 a cup of the marinade into a separate bowl and set aside. This will be your glaze after the fish is done. Pour the remaining marinade in the bag and gently add the fish. Take out most of the air and tie off the bag. Place in a bowl to prevent contamination from dripping, and refrigerate for 4 hours.







Place a rack in the center of the oven. Place a heavy baking sheet or cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil on the sheet. Place the sheet under the broiler and turn the temperature to broil. When the tray is very hot, remove it and spray with olive or vegetable oil. Do not turn off the broiler.

Remove the salmon from the marinade. Throw the marinade away. Place it on the aluminum foil, flesh side facing up. Pat dry. Lightly season with pepper. Gently flip the salmon and place it skin side up on the tray. Broil for 6-8 minutes, or until medium rare.

Be sure not to burn or char the skin, like I did! If the skin starts to char, lower the oven rack by one notch. It still tasted good!

Serve with the reserve marinade and Umeboshi rice.