Broiled Asian Salmon with Wasabi Mayonnaise and Grilled Asparagus Salad

I brought home some good-looking coho salmon fillets from the grocer yesterday and picked up some fresh asparagus and Belgian endive, with not a clue what I was going to do with all of that. Once home, I settled on broiling the salmon, and figured that some Asian flavors would work well.

I have also developed an affinity for grilled asparagus. Although that usually means putting the asparagus on the grill after soaking them in an olive oil and vinegar dressing, I used a stove-top grilling pan instead, and cooked them indoors. A grilling pan resembles a skillet with ridges, allowing you to make char marks on food cooked on top of the stove. After grilling the asparagus, I made a salad of it with the Belgian endive and a raspberry vinaigrette.

The wasabi Mayonnaise was an afterthought once I had taken the first bite of the salmon. Although I needed something quick and easy, I might make a fresher recipe next time. But, I had a tube of wasabi in the fridge that came in handy.

Ingredients
For the salmon
1 pound fresh salmon filet, skin removed
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 oz low sodium soy sauce
1 oz dry sherry wine
3 tbsp sesame oil

Ingredients
For the salad
1 bunch fresh asparagus snapped at the "sweet spot"(**see below)
1 tbsp olive oil for cooking
4 small Belgium endive lettuces, root side removed and sliced width-wise into rings
2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients
For the wasabi mayonnaise
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp wasabi paste

The Recipes
For the salmon:
Whisk together the soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, shallots and garlic and pour over the salmon fillets in a shallow dish. Marinate for thirty minutes.

Next, make the salad dressing:
Put the raspberry vinegar, the lime and lemon juice, and the Dijon mustard into a mixing bowl. Slowly wisk in the olive oil until an emulsion occurs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Then, grill the asparagus:
Put a tablespoon of olive oil into the grilling pan with the heat on high. Put the asparagus in the grilling pan and cook on high heat, turning the asparagus frequently. Cook until the asparagus is charred and cooked, six to seven minutes.

Now, cook the salmon:
Remove the salmon from the marinade, letting some of the shallots and garlic to stay on top of the fish. Place in a broiling pan and put under the broiler in your oven about four inches from the heating elements. Broil with the oven door ajar for eight minutes without turning the fish.

Finally, assemble the salad and finish the dish:
After removing the asparagus from the grilling pan and allowing to cool slightly, cut into one inch pieces. Mix with the Belgian endive rings and toss with 2-3 tablespoons of the raspberry vinaigrette.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the wasabi paste and mayonnaise and blend well.

Serve the broiled salmon fillet with a dollop of the wasabi mayonnaise, and the grilled asparagus salad on the side.

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**Asparagus snapped at the "sweet spot": in order to separate the woody stem of the asparagus from the tender vegetable, hold the spear at each end in two hands and bend it. It will break at the sweet spot, which is where the inedible part breaks away from the part you will cook. Discard the woody stem.