Japanese Glazed Ocean Trout with Steamed Asian Greens

To be honest, I could eat the trout just like this - how very Japanese of me, はい?

I love Japanese food. I love fish. OK, I love just about all food from all places. But I, (along with a gazillion others) have a particular infatuation with the way the Japanese prepare and serve fish. Take this ocean trout - no don't, it's my dinner! It can be a very rich fish. It could easily overwhelm your palate. But this glaze is sweet with mirin and and salty with soy and manages to cut through the richness (getting very cheffy aren't I, ha).

To be honest, I could eat the trout raw, as in sushi-style - how very Japanese of me, はい?

Asian greens (yes, greens again), are a must too. Lovely, bright, fresh, leafy greens steamed and dressed with more mirin and soy and finished with fried shallots. The greens do their bit to cut through the richness of the fish too - (enough with the cutting-of-the-richness already!)


Japanese Glazed Ocean Trout with steamed Asian Greens
from Bill Granger's Everyday Asian

For the Fish:
2 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
2 ocean trout fillets, skin off

Mix the mirin, soy sauce, sugar and lime juice in a bowl until combined. Put the trout fillets in a shallow dish, pour the mixture over the fish and set aside in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes.

Preheat the grill to high and line a baking tray with foil. Remove the fish from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Place the trout on the tray and grill for about 7 minutes or until the fish is nicely coloured and still pink in the centre. It will be all caramelised on the outside - yum.

While the fish is doing it's thing under the grill, pour the reserved marinade into a small frying pan and cook over high heat for 3-4  minutes, until reduced to a glaze. Pour it over the trout.

For the Greens:
2 tablespoons light flavoured oil (I used peanut oil)
1 large bunch of Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) and about 12 spears of asparagus
3 tablespoon chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon caster sugar
handful crispy shallots

Boil a big pot of water (about 5 cups) and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Blanch the vegetables for 2 minutes, drain and transfer to a serving plate.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the stock, soy sauce, mirin and sugar and season with sea salt to taste. Bring to the boil and pour over the greens. Top with the fried shallots. Tuck in!