Asian Salmon Lettuce Cups

And here’s another installment of our recipes-with-wine-pairings! Previously: Middle Eastern Lamb Pasta.

I bookmarked a recipe for salmon sashimi in Food & Wine, because I eat raw fish at restaurants all the time, why not at home? So I went out and bought some super fresh salmon, excited about pairing my sashimi with some Sauvignon Blanc that Gary from Royal Wine sent me specifically for the dish…and I chickened out and cooked the fish!

I strayed for my plan, but I have no regrets. I worked with the same flavors as the original recipe, so I think the wine pairing still worked as intended. And lettuce wraps are such a fun way to eat dinner! Sure, it was a bit messy, so just give everyone an extra napkin.

This took, maybe, 15 minutes to make. Seriously, this is something you can make super-last-minute, and is way more impressive than boiling a pot of spaghetti and throwing a jar of marinara sauce on it!

So give it a try! Or, be braver than I was and make Food & Wine’s version. And then invite me over for dinner. Or just tell me that you didn’t poison your family and maybe I’ll give it a shot next time.

Asian Salmon Lettuce Cups inspired by Food & Wine
Serve with string beans and Barkan Classic Sauvignon Blanc or a crisp white wine
Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 lb salmon, cut into cubes
  • 1 head of Boston lettuce, leaves intact
  • 1/4 plus 2 tablespoons cup soy sauce
  • 1 orange
  • 1 lime
  • 1 clove garlic
  • sesame oil
  • vegetable oil
  • optional: chives, cilantro, sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, juice half of the lime and half of the orange and add 1/4 cup of soy sauce. Add the salmon and marinate for 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, chop up the garlic clove, heat the vegetable oil in a pan, and fry the garlic until fragrant, about two minutes.
  3. Drain the salmon and add to the pan, cook for about 7 minutes, moving the pieces around to ensure even cooking.
  4. Meanwhile, make the dressing: whisk together the rest of the soy sauce, the juice of the other half of the orange and lime, and about a tablespoon of sesame oil.
  5. Lay out the leaves of lettuce on a plate and top each with a few pieces of salmon. Pour dressing over the top, or leave it on the side as a dip (or both!) and garnish with whichever toppings you wish to use. Serve immediately.

About to eat my salmon wrap. Notice my glass of wine in the background, and if you look really closely (and maybe squint a little), you can see that I’m drinking out of my Kosher Food and Wine Experience wine glass.