Recipe: Orange-Miso Salmon

I was going to make something similar to this... but found that I had mis-read the recipe and it was an appetizer dish. Then I realized it called for a couple of ingredients I didn't have. But there was the salmon, just begging to be eaten. So I made this up, using the original recipe as inspiration.

Ingredients:
3-4 Salmon fillets (steaks would work too)

Zest & juice of one orange
1 tbl. yellow miso paste
3/4 cup hot water
3-4 tbl. sesame seeds
1-3 tbl. cornstarch

Cooking:
1) Mix the orange juice & zest, miso paste, and hot water until the miso is dissolved.

2) Arrange the salmon in a baking dish and pour the sauce over the fish. Let marinate for 20-30 minutes, turning over half-way though.

3) Pre-heat the oven to 350.

4) Bake the fish in the juice until the fish flakes. You may want to turn the fish over one more time.

5) While the fish is baking, toast the sesame seeds. I do this in my toaster oven. Spread the seeds in a single layer and set the toaster to a light setting. Keep your eye on them - once they start to toast they can go to burnt very quickly. If you don't have a toaster oven, pop them in the oven as soon as you take the fish out - remembering that they will toast very quickly.

6) Remove the dish from the oven. Arrange the fish on a plate and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

7) Whisking quickly, add cornstarch 1 tbl. at a time to the sauce remaining in the baking dish. The sauce should thicken - add cornstarch until the sauce is a consistency that you like.

Serve at once, passing the sauce with the fish. Rice and steamed bok choi are perfect compliments to this dish. Fresh ginger could be added to the sauce, and hot chili flakes could be sprinkled on top.