Pacific Ponzu Salmon

From West Coast Cooking by Greg Atkinson

Makes 6 servings

For the Ponzu Sauce
1 grapefruit
1 orange
1 lime
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c soy sauce or tamari
1/4 c rice vinegar

For the Fish
6 salmon fillets, 7 oz each
1 tea fine sea salt
2 Tb vegetable oil

1. make the ponzu sauce. Use a zester to remove teh colorful outer rind from the grapefruit, orange, adn lime; set the zest aside. Juice the fruits and combine the juices.

2. Put the sugar in a dry pan over medium-high heat and swirl the pan until the sugar has dissolved. It will be carmel colored. Pour in the fruit juice and step back; the mixture will boil and steam rapidly, then settle into a steady boil. Boil for about 2 minutes, swirling the pan now and then to dissolve the carmelized sugar.

3. When the carmelized sugar has dissolved, add the soy sauce and vinegar. Drop in half of the citrus zest and continue boiling the sauce until it is slightly thickened, 1 or 2 minutes. Save the remaining zest for garnish.

4. Pat the salmon fillets dry and sprinkle with sea salt. Put a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and allow the pan to preheat for 1 minute. Put the oil in the pan; it should be almost smoking hot.

5. Put 2 or 3 of the salmon fillets into the pan, skin side up, and allow the salmon to cook, undisturbed, until the crisp brown crust has formed on the fleshy side of the fish, 4-5 minutes. With a fish spatula lift the fillets out of the pan and set them skin side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fillets. The salmon and sauce can be prepared ahead up to this point and finished just before serving.

6. Preheat oven to 400 and bake the seared salmon fillets until the fish is heated through and the fillets slip easily off their skins, about 5 minutes.

7. Make a puddle of ponzu sauce in the center of each of 6 plates and set a fillet on top of each. Garnish with the reserved zest.