Sometimes, perfection lies in simplicity. We carefully marinate fresh salmon in a rich blend of soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and shallots, allowing its deep umami flavor to shine. We serve it alongside tender white asparagus, whose fresh and delicate aroma provides the perfect counterbalance. To complete the marinated salmon with asparagus, we pan-fry golden potato wedges until crisp. Finally, we braise cherry tomatoes in the marinade, allowing them to subtly absorb its flavors and add a gentle sweetness to the dish.
Marinated salmon with white asparagus
Ingredients
- 500 grams white asparagus
- 300 grams fresh salmon
- 300 grams potatoes
- 12 cherry tomatoes
Marinade
- 1 shallot
- 25 grams fresh ginger
- 20 ml soy sauce
- 20 ml oyster sauce
- 10 ml rice vinegar
- 6 star anise
Instructions
Preparing the marinated salmon
- Remove the bitter skin from the ginger and cut it into small pieces.
- We also remove the hard skin from the shallot. We then also cut this into small pieces.
- Now mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce and rice vinegar into a marinade. Add the star anise, ginger and shallot.
- Now roll the salmon in the marinade, so that it is well covered everywhere. Cover this and place it in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Making the marinated salmon with asparagus
- Remove the marinade from the salmon. Place the star anise on the salmon and wrap it in silver foil.
- Cook the salmon for 10 minutes in an oven at 180°C. Then let the salmon rest in the oven while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Now peel the potatoes. Halve them and cut each half potato into three wedges. Boil or steam them for about ten minutes.
- Peel the asparagus and cut off the woody bits at the bottom. When the potatoes are cooked, you can reuse the cooking liquid to cook the asparagus. Boil the asparagus for about ten minutes. If you have thick asparagus, plan a few extra minutes.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes. Heat some oil in a pan and stew the cherry tomatoes with the marinade.
- Finally, heat some butter in a pan. Then fry the potato wedges in it until they are golden brown.
- Now arrange everything on the plates. The asparagus in the middle with the marinated salmon on top. The cherry tomatoes and the fried potato wedges come on the left and right.
Nutrition
How to make marinated salmon with asparagus?
This marinated salmon with white asparagus is prepared in two stages. First, we marinate the salmon, letting it rest in the refrigerator for a few hours. After that, we prepare all the ingredients and assemble the dish.
Marinating the salmon
We begin by preparing the salmon and its marinade. For the marinade, finely chop the ginger and shallot. Peel the ginger and cut it into small pieces. Remove the outer skin of the shallot and also slice it finely.
Next, mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and rice vinegar into a marinade. Stir in the ginger and shallot. Also add the star anise.
Coat the salmon thoroughly in the marinade so that it is evenly covered on all sides. Submerge the star anise into the marinade as well. Cover the mixture and let it sit in the refrigerator for several hours, allowing the flavors to infuse. Do you know what exactly happens during this marinating process? We'll explain that further in this article.
Baking the marinated salmon
Now we can prepare the marinated salmon with white asparagus. Remove the marinated salmon from the refrigerator. You'll notice that the salmon has undergone quite a transformation. Remove any excess marinade and spices, then place the salmon on aluminum foil. Arrange the pieces of star anise on top of the salmon, then wrap the foil securely.
Bake the salmon in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the salmon rest while preparing the other ingredients.
Cooking the potatoes and asparagus
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes. Cut them in half, then slice each half into three wedges. Boil or steam them for about 10 minutes, until they are tender but firm.
Peel the white asparagus, removing the tough woody ends. You can reuse the potato cooking water to boil the asparagus-it's already warm, has absorbed some flavor from the potatoes, and helps save water.
Preparing the cherry tomatoes
Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Heat some oil in a small pan. Add the marinade and cherry tomatoes, letting them simmer for a few minutes until they are soft and infused with flavor.
Finishing the marinated salmon with white asparagus
Finally, pan-fry the potatoes. Melt some butter in a pan and fry the potato wedges until golden brown.
Now, it's time to assemble the dish. First, arrange the white asparagus on the plates. Place the marinated salmon on top. Arrange the golden-brown potatoes and braised cherry tomatoes around the dish.
What is marinating, and why is It useful?
It is sometimes said that a marinade "pre-cooks" meat or fish. However, it is not a heat-based process, meaning that in this case, the fish technically remains raw. Still, noticeable changes occur - after marination, salmon looks visibly different. So, what exactly happens?
- First, the flavors of the marinade penetrate the salmon. The acids slowly seep in, enriching its taste.
- Additionally, proteins break down, making the texture tender and softer, resulting in a more pleasant mouthfeel. The same effect occurs during heat-based cooking, which is why marination is sometimes mistaken for pre-cooking. In ceviche, this process is highly visible and enjoyable.
- Finally, fats and seasonings coat the salmon, creating a rich aromatic layer packed with flavor.
Do you want to learn more about marination? Check out the following articles:
- Is marinating fish necessary? Unlocking flavour and texture secrets. (Flawless cooking).
- What is the purpose of marinating fish and seafood? (QA cooking).
- Unlock flavor and tenderness: the purpose of marinating (Tasty food lovers).
More surprising.salmon
Salmon is a healthy fatty fish and probably the most readily available one. It's also very easy to prepare, so why not give it a try? Here, you'll find more delicious salmon recipes:
- Lohikeitto - traditional Finnish salmon soup.
- Fiskasúpa - Icelandic fish soup.
- Beetroot puree with fennel and salmon.
- One-pot spaghetti with salmon and leek.
- Summer salmon salad.
More surprising.asparagus
Additionally, asparagus, the white gold of Belgium, plays a leading role in this recipe. Discover more surprising asparagus dishes in the following articles:
- Passionate asparagus.
- Salmon with green asparagus.
- Asparagus cordon bleu.
- Spring salad with strawberries and asparagus.
- Italian asparagus pasta passata.
If you speak Dutch, you can find the Dutch version of this recipe on gerechtenweb.blog.
toondebacker says
A delicious spring recipe with the white gold of Belgium (asparagus).