Szechuan Salmon Food

SZECHUAN-STYLE SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Combine marinade ingredients (soy, rice wine, ginger, sugar) in a wide bowl.
• Add salmon and turn to coat in marinade.
• Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Line a stir-fry pan or deep skillet and the inside of pan lid with heavy-duty foil.
• Combine smoking mixture (brown sugar, rice, tea leaves, anise, cinnamon, peppercorns) and spread evenly in the bottom of pan.
• Set a round cake rack over smoking mixture (Be sure the smoking element does not touch rack).
• Remove fish from marinade and place on rack.
• Pour marinade into a small saucepan and set aside.
• Place pan, uncovered, over high heat.
• When mixture begins to smoke, cover pan; reduce heat to medium-low and smoke until salmon turns a rich deep color, about 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat; let stand for 5 minutes, undisturbed, or longer before removing lid.
• Bring reserved marinade to a boil; add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens.
• Strain sauce into a bowl, discarding solids.
• If you plan to serve the fish hot, serve with the sauce on the side.
• Otherwise, serve at room temperature with no sauce.