Happy Halloween: Asian-Marinated Salmon + Wasabi Potato Balls

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I have been wanting to make this recipe for the longest time — Ina Garten’s Asian Marinated Salmon. I made it as written, except I added 1 tablespoon of honey to the marinade. And okay, I used a grill pan.

Fine, I also only used 1 pound of salmon instead of a whole side of salmon. But c’mon, that would have been super-duper expensive and a lot of fish for two people.

You might notice that there aren’t any prep pictures here. Well…jwa brought the camera to work and I didn’t have it to take pictures while making dinner. So sad.

Asian Marinated Salmon
1 lb wild salmon (the marinade below will accommodate up to 3 pounds)
For the marinade:
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Garnishes: chopped green onions and lemon or lime wedges

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Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, honey and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Heat up a grill pan and brush lightly with oil. Alternately, you can light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill surface; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don’t worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve with the extra unused marinade.

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So, I was watching TV a couple of weekends ago and saw some of this show on the Food Network that I don’t like that much — Simply Delicioso. Simply Annnoying-o, imho. But she made these potato balls with cheese in the middle which sort of intrigued me. So I built on that concept and created — wasabi potato balls! Woo! What? Cream cheese isn’t uh, Asianesque?

Yeah, I know. I know. But I will not let authenticity stand in the way of my love of all things cheese. Besides, Dijon mustard isn’t an authentic pan-Asian ingredient either. See, the meal all fits together perfectly!

Wasabi Potato Balls
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled
1 tbsp salt
2 cloves garlic (or 1 huge clove)
1 tbsp prepared wasabi
1 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Optional: 1/2 tsp Asian seasoning (I have this Oxo grind it Asian blend with lemongrass and ginger and other stuff that I couldn’t resist adding to the breadcrumbs)
Salt and pepper

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put potatoes in a large pot and fill with water until potatoes are just covered. Add the 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are very soft, about 30 minutes. Test with a fork after 20.

Press potatoes through a potato ricer and blend until mashed. Add the garlic, wasabi and salt and pepper to taste. Get the potatoes to where you like them seasoning-wise. Then, let them sit for a few minutes until just cool enough to handle.

Slice up 8 small little cubes of your cream cheese. Add the extra seasoning to the bread crumbs if you are using it and set aside in a small bowl. Prepare a baking sheet with foil wrap and coat with vegetable spray or rub with oil.

Okay. While mashed potatoes are still warm, form them into 2-inch balls. You should have eight. Make an indentation with you finger and insert 1 cheese cube in the center of a ball, then roll it into bread crumbs and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with the 7 remaining balls, rinsing your hands as needed so the potatoes form evenly and don’t stick to the bread crumbs in your hand.

Give the tops a spray with canola or olive oil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, flip them over. Serve immediately. They are mighty tasty.

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4 Replies to “Happy Halloween: Asian-Marinated Salmon + Wasabi Potato Balls”

  1. Christine: Thanks! Yeah, this was a tasty meal. I think I’m going to try the potatoes next with goat cheese inside and herbes de provence, garlic and regular bread crumbs. No wasabi.

  2. This looks delicious, especially that salmon. I just got a cast iron grill pan for winter “grilling,” going to try halibut this week–it’s on sale at New Seasons! I love the goat cheese potato ball idea.

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