Sake Marinated Fish Served with A Big Green Salad
	Serves 4 Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 30 minutes

Adapted from Nuts in the Kitchen by Susan Herrmann Loomis

Shopping List

• 2 shallots
• 1 head lettuce
• 1 bunch arugula
• 1 pound spinach
• 3 tbsps sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup lightly toasted (salted are ok) macadamia nuts
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1-1/2 pounds firm, white fish such as ling cod, flounder, haddock or halibut
• Sake (you need 1 tbsp.)

Pantry Items

• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Brown sugar (light is best)
• Canola oil
• Dijon mustard
• Red wine vinegar
• Sea salt or kosher salt
• Sesame oil (Japanese is best)
• Tamari or soy sauce

Tools

• Chef’s knife
• Heavy skillet
• Large saucepan
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowls
• 2 nonstick fry pans
• Paring knife
• Salad spinner
• Spatula
• Steamer
• Strainer
• Tongs
• Whisk
• Wooden spoons

Suggestions

• Wine:  Sake with Sake, of course. But you want a good quality Sake, and we choose the Miyasaka Yawaraka Junmai which is dry but fruity, and a bit lower in alcohol than many Sake. You drink it cold; it will be great with this fish in it’s slightly sweet marinade. Yum!
• Dessert:  Lemon Poppyseed Ice Cream, Nuts in the Kitchen (p. 177)

Game Plan:

• When you walk in the door
  • Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry, put them in the fridge
  • Preheat the oven to 400F
  • Get out Pantry Items
  • Get out Tools
  • Put three cups water in the bottom of a steamer and set it over medium-high heat
  • Assemble the ingredients
  • Put the sake in the fridge
  • Get someone to set the table and stick around to help you in the kitchen, this is an easy menu, but there’s a lot going on!
• Prep
  • Peel and slice the shallots paper thin.
  • Put 1-1/2 tbsps. tamari,1 tbsp. brown sugar and 1 tbsp. sake in glass or other non-reactive dish large enough to hold the fish. Whisk it all together, then whisk in 1 sliced shallot.
  • Check the fish for bones and remove what you can. Lay the fillets in the glass dish, turn them so they’ve got marinade on both sides, cover and refrigerate.
  • Separate the leaves from the head of lettuce. Rinse and spin them dry. Tear them into large bite-sized pieces. Measure 7 cups of leaves and put them in a large bowl.
  • Rinse and pat dry the arugula. If the leaves are large, tear them into bite-sized pieces. Measure 1 cup leaves and add them to the lettuce. You can save any extra lettuce or arugula for another meal.
  • Rinse the spinach. Remove and discard the stems (this is optional). Put the leaves in the large saucepan.
  • Coarsely chop the 1/4 cup macadamias and put them in a small skillet. Add 1 heaping tbsp. coconut and mix.
• Start Cooking
  • Put the saucepan with the spinach in it over medium-high heat and cook the spinach until it wilts but is still nice and green, 7-10 minutes.
  • While the spinach is steaming, steam the fish. When the water in the steamer boils, put the fish in and steam for 7 minutes, until the fish is opaque through.
  • While steam fills the kitchen, put the skillet with the macadamias and the coconut over medium-high heat and cook, shaking the pan and stirring often, until the coconut is golden.
  • Put 3 tbsps. sesame seed in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan occasionally until they’re golden, which will take just a minute or two. Don’t worry, you can do all of this at once! As soon as they turn golden, transfer them to a small bowl.
  • Once the sesame seeds are toasted, make the salad dressing: Put the other sliced shallot into a bowl with 1 tsp. mustard. Whisk in 1 tbsp. vinegar and a pinch of salt. Whisk in 1 tbsp. sesame oil, and 3 tbsps. canola oil. Taste for seasoning.
  • Check the nuts and coconut. When they’re golden, put them in a bowl.
  • When the spinach is steamed remove it from the heat and transfer to a colander. Press on it (using tongs or a spoon), to remove as much liquid as possible.
  • Coarsely chop the spinach, transfer it to a medium-sized bowl and drizzle it with 1 tbsp. soy sauce and 1/4 tsp. sesame oil. Toss and taste for seasoning.
  • Check the fish.  If it is cooked, transfer it to a platter and cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
  • Ok, dinner is almost ready! Add the salad dressing to the greens and toss, toss, toss. Taste for seasoning.
  • Divide the spinach among four plates, patting it in a round in the center. Cover the spinach with a fish fillet. Sprinkle each fillet with the macadamia coconut mixture. Take the plates, the salad and the wine to the table. Dinner is ready!

Wow that was fast, let’s eat!

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