Miso Glazed Salmon Slideshow. Yeah. You can make this even if you're totally spent. Then, pat yourself on the back!
Miso Glazed Salmon, Friends: The Jellyfish Story, Debussy & Nine Inch Nails' "La Mer" & Conan Grey
I love Hawaii. I don’t know if it’s because I’m always mistaken for a Native, the call of the ocean or because the food is basically what I grew up eating, it feels like home. (Well, I am Pacific Islander. That and Italy…. which I don’t completely understand.) The ocean has and always felt like home to me. While I see others panicking with the undertow, afraid of the crashing, tossing, and unpredictability of the waves, I see adrenaline, fun, points to dive into, and my favorite, getting tossed around in the waves like a fish. I love that feeling. I can live in those ocean current moments and its muted sensory deprivation for (what feels like) an eternity. (Definitely a dolphin in a past life... or hopefully reincarnated in a future life!) You know when you go the aquarium and see the seaweed dancing back and forth with the current. That’s me. If you fight it, you’ll panic in the water and won't be able to breathe. So, I try to summon my inner calm, rely on instincts, and PLAY in the water... like the dolphins.
I originally wrote about fragility and strength being the side of the same coin for this post but after reading it, I thought it to be too serious. (I feel that way every time I have to go to a store now. Yuck.) When your week, month, or season is particularly brutal, it helps to have a no brainer easy recipe, when you’re too exhausted to even speak. (That happened to me this week! A friend called and I literally asked if I could text because it was like playing the piano… I couldn’t string words VOCALLY in a conversation.) I tried fighting it, but instead, I started making my husband laugh with the bizarre stream of conscious answers that somewhat sounded like the words I was supposed to use, all the while writing incoherent and mistaken posts to the people I care about! Sorry! I was trying to “communicate” and “support”! Musician. (If it sounds similar, sometimes my brain goes there!)
Because we’re all a little tired right now, I hope this makes you laugh. There’s nothing better than having a good meal, sleeping, and laughing with those you love… or providing a laugh for those you love. :) Thank you for reading! I hope this makes you smile and forgot about whatever is ailing you for a little while! Happy eating!
Speaking of jellyfish, remember the iconic “Friends” Jellyfish episode with Chandler peeing on Monica? YOUR WELCOME!
Friends - The Jellyfish Story (Chandler Peed on Monica)
Here’s Debussy’s iconic “La Mer.” What people don’t know is that while he was starting to write this, he was visiting his parents-in-law in Burgundy and by the time he finished, he left his wife and got his mistress, Emma Bardac, pregnant. How rockstar. And people think classical composers are boring. That’s only the surface…
Debussy's 'La mer' by Bernard Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Speaking of rockstar… Here’s Nine Inch Nails’ “La Mer.” Because obsessive audio tweaking involving acoustic and digital keyboards, French prose, and a groove are always a headtrip. (I’m serious!) I’m not being silly. I love this stuff.
La Mer - Nine Inch Nails
Finally, Conan Gray.
Conan Gray - Heather (Official Music Video)
Miso Glazed Salmon
from the New York Times
Miso Glazed Salmon. When you're too exhausted to cook but need something satisfying for your brain (and taste buds.)
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup sake
3 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
4 salmon, trout, Arctic char, mahi mahi or black cod fillets, about 6 ounces each
Directions
Combine the mirin and sake in the smallest saucepan you have and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 20 seconds, taking care not to boil off much of the liquid, then turn the heat to low and stir in the miso and the sugar. Whisk over medium heat without letting the mixture boil until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sesame oil. Allow to cool. Transfer to a wide glass or stainless steel bowl or baking dish. (This is the 5 minute part. Congratulate yourself on actually making a home cooked meal when you're too exhausted to think.)
Pat the fish fillets dry and brush or rub on both sides with the marinade, then place them in the baking dish and turn them over a few times in the marinade remaining in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 2 to 3 hours, or for up to a day. (Anything you can make ahead makes you look like a kitchen genius.... or more time to goof off. My goal, nowadays.)
Light the broiler or prepare a grill. Line a sheet pan with foil and oil the foil. Tap each fillet against the sides of the bowl or dish so excess marinade will slide off. Place skin side up on the baking sheet if broiling. (I didn't broil. CA was amidst a heat wave when I cooked this so the last thing I wanted was the power to go out for my neighborhood because I was selfishly broiling fish.)
Place the fish skin side down on the grill, or skin side up under the broiler, about 6 inches from the heat. Broil or grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until the surface browns and blackens in spots. If necessary (this will depend on the thickness of the fillets) finish in a 400-degree oven, for about 5 minutes, until the fish is opaque and can be pulled apart easily with a fork. Serve with white rice (which you handily prepared ahead of a time in a rice cooker so you can basically do nothing and smile at your preparedness! I garnished it with black and white sesame seeds and green onions just to make it pretty.) Enjoy!
Tips
For a vegetarian version of this dish, substitute tofu, sliced about 2/3 inch thick, for the fish.
Advance preparation: You can prepare the fish 12 hours before cooking.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to contact me if there's anything you'd like me to discuss or something you think I should read, eat, or think about. Have a wonderful weekend! Xo, Melissa
#misoglazedsalmon, #friendsthejellyfishstory,#lamer, @debussy, @nineinchnails,@conangray
