Pan-Roasted Salmon with a Miso Broth

Serves 2

This rich dark miso broth is the perfect partner for a pan-roasted Scottish salmon fillet. The recipe uses wakame, a subtly sweet variety of seaweed that’s been popular in Japanese cuisine for centuries, and ramen noodles which soak up the delicious flavours of the broth.

Remove the Scottish salmon fillets from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil.
Cut off and discard the root ends of the spring onions; thinly slice them on an angle, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Halve the pak choi lengthwise. Peel and finely chop the ginger. In a medium bowl, combine the miso paste, tamari and ¼ cup of water.
To start the broth, heat two teaspoons of oil in a medium sized pan on a medium-high heat until hot. Add the ginger and white bottoms of the spring onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant. Add the pak choi; cook stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly wilted.
Add the dried wakame, miso mixture, three cups of water and as much of the sriracha as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the broth simmers, pat the salmon fillets dry and season with pepper on both sides. In a medium non-stick pan heat two teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned salmon and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, or until browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
While the salmon cooks, add the fresh ramen noodles to the pot of boiling water, stirring to separate the noodles. Cook, stirring occasionally, for exactly two minutes and 30 seconds. Drain thoroughly and divide between two bowls.
Divide the broth between the two bowls of noodles and top with the cooked salmon fillets. Garnish with the sesame seeds and green tops of the spring onions.