Seared Salmon with Ponzu Sauce and steamed Bok Choy

 I have always leaned toward Chinese and Japanese cuisines, whenever I felt like venturing out of my food comfort zones. And these two nations have never disappointed me with their light sauces and fresh ingredients where one flavor doesn't kill off the other or weighs you down as a meal.
Ponzu sauce is a citrus based dark brown sauce, very common in the Japanese cooking.
This version in the recipe is a lighter version. The authentic version is made by simmering Mirin, Rice Vinegar, Tuna flakes and Kobu together and then adding some citrus juice to it.This meal is one of the first non-Indian meals I have attempted to put together. The recipe was simple and everyone loved it. The original recipe courtesy goes to Food Tv, my food guru in the days when I couldn't cook anything. over the years, I have adapted the original recipe to suit my family's taste. Also, I serve it with either cooked plain rice noodles or with Corn on the Cob, as a side. This recipe serves a family of 4.

Ingredients:-

Salmon Fillet with Skin, served on a bed of Rice Noodles, drizzled with Ponzu Sauce and Steamed Baby Bok Choy. I used Jalapenos for some extra kick in my Ponzu.

For  the Ponzu Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup veggie/chicken stock
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2  tablespoons orange juice
2 tbsp of orange zest
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2-3 thai green chillies, chopped
2 stalks of spring onion, thinly sliced (bottoms and top separate)

Other Ingredients:-
1 lb of fresh bok choy, rinsed well and trimmed
4 salmon fillets (Now the original recipe calls for skinned fillets but I am a big fan of crispy seared fish skin, so I used fillets with skin on them and seared them skin down first, then cooked it on the other side too. If you choose to cook with skin, see my note on serving below*)
Salt and Pepper


Directions:-
Whisk all of the Ponzu sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Steam the Bok Choy and keep aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season the salmon with the salt and pepper, lay the fish rounded side down in the pan (*skin side down if using fillets with skin) and cook until golden and crisp on 1 side, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, turn and cook the fish on the remaining side to the desired degree of doneness, about 10 to 11 minutes for fish cooked through.

Divide the salmon and bok choy among 4 plates and serve each drizzled with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the ponzu.

A Variation: Tilapias (pan-roasted with a sprinkling of seasoned panko bread crumbs to give it some crunch) made using the same recipe.

*Salmon fillets with skin need to be served in a different way. Spoon a couple table spoons of Ponzu sauce in a plate, and lay down the fillets skin-side up so that the meaty side is in contact with the sauce at the bottom.

 Pass extra sauce at the table. Leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week, or even be used as a dip for Sashimi or Tempura fried Seafood.
Let me know how you like it! Enjoy!