hot smoked salmon, soba and asian greens salad

Soups & Salads

Hot Smoked Salmon, Soba and Asian Greens Salad

I got hooked on hot-smoked salmon while living in England where my corner fishmonger sold me some of his personally recommended local stuff. I had to limit myself to buying this only once a week. It was sweet and salty, firm and creamy all at the same time.

Ingredients

1/2 pound fillet of salmon (i used wild caught sockeye, because the color is lovely.)
1/4 cup cup kosher salt
1/3 cup turbinado sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons chinese five spice
8 ounces buckwheat soba noodles
juice of one lemon
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup warm water, more if necessary. you want this to be somewhat thin as it’s more of a broth than a dressing.
2 cups small tat soi leaves, whole

Directions

Cut salmon fillet lengthwise in two even pieces.
Combine salt, sugar, say sauce and Chinese five spice with 1 quart of warm water and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let fish sit in this brine for one hour at room temperature.
Remove fish from brine, dry it completely and place on a rack. Put rack uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Using a stove-top smoker, smoke the salmon for about 8 minutes at a temperature in the range of 145-50 degrees. Allow salmon to cool completely.
Prepare the soba noodles as directed on package. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Whisk together lemon juice, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, sugar and sesame oil. Add water to desired strength. Toss about half of the dressing with noodles.
Divide tat soi leaves into bowls and mix with the dressed noodles.
Either leave the salmon whole and set it atop the noodles or break it into bite-sized pieces on top of the salad.
Drizzle the remaining dressing over the completed salad and serve immediately.