I ate at a fantastic seafood restaurant in San Francisco this past spring. I ordered the Asian Salmon Bowl and the combination of flavors was delicious. I tried to re-create this dish at home and this is the closest I’ve come.

The secret to cooking salmon, is don’t overcook it! The rule of thumb for fish is to cook it for 10 minutes per inch. Use a fork to test the salmon. It should be moist and flaky. Jacques Pépin taught one of the classes in my culinary program and I remember he said “serve your salmon underdone”. Enjoy!

Asian Salmon Bowl with Garlic Lime Drizzle

• 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter or olive oil (or a little of both)
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 4 salmon fillets (4 ounces each), skin removed
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 2 packages (5 ounces each) baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds (regular sesame seeds are fine if you can’t find black)

Heat oven to 400°F.

Cook the rice as directed on the package.

In a small saucepan, melt butter (or olive oil) over medium heat. Sauté garlic and pepper flakes until garlic is lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add maple syrup, lime juice and soy sauce and cook until bubbling, about 3 minutes.

In a bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water; stir into garlic glaze. Cook until slightly thick, about 1 minute. Reserve a little of the glaze.

Arrange salmon fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread about 1 teaspoon of glaze over each fillet. Roast salmon until just cooked through, 12-15 minutes.

In a medium skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add 1 package of spinach; sauté until just wilted. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with second package of spinach. Divide rice among 4 bowls; top each with 1/4 spinach and 1 salmon fillet. Drizzle with remaining garlic glaze; sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds.

Source: Epicurious