- Cucumber Salad:
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 2 cucumbers, halved, seeded, and cut into very thin slices
- Ginger Crust:
- 1/3 cup minced fresh ginger root
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup peanut oil
- Salmon:
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 4 (8 ounce) center-cut salmon fillets
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Ponzu Butter:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons ponzu sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt to taste
- To make the cucumber salad, stir together sesame oil, dill, rice vinegar, mirin, and sesame seeds in a glass or plastic bowl; add cucumber, and toss until well coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
- To prepare the ginger crust, stir together the ginger, green onions, and garlic in a sturdy, metal bowl; set aside. Heat 1/4 cup peanut oil in a small saucepan over high heat until it begins to smoke. Remove from heat, and carefully stir in the ginger mixture; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large, ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season salmon fillets to taste with salt and pepper. Sear salmon until golden brown on both sides, 30 to 40 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate, and wipe excess oil from skillet. Spread honey over top of fillets, then evenly spread with reserved ginger crust.
- Replace salmon into the skillet, and place into the oven. Bake until the center of the salmon turns opaque, 6 to 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in shallots, and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Pour in white wine, then simmer until nearly evaporated. Add the ponzu sauce and heavy cream, reduce by 1/2. Remove from heat, then whisk in cold butter pieces until dissolved; season to taste with kosher salt.
- To assemble the dish, season the cucumber salad to taste with salt. Divide the salad evenly onto four plates, spreading it out into a 4 to 5-inch circle. Drizzle the ponzu butter onto the bare area of the plate, around the cucumber salad. Place a salmon fillet, crust-side up, on top of the salad, and serve.