Orange maple glazed salmon and whole-wheat honey challah

THE NOSHER/JTA — By the time January rolls around it’s time to face the music: We’ve indulged in latkes and sufganiyot (it’s only once a year!), avoided insulting co-workers by eating mounds of their homemade cookies (that they stayed up all night baking!) and rang in the New Year with a heaping stack of (you fill in the blank) made with copious amounts of butter. 

So for a healthy change, I came up with this Asian-inspired salmon dish. After searching my winter markets, I chose citrus for bright color and flavor, and balanced it with my favorite local maple syrup. The moist salmon fillets are a perfect foil for a glossy Asian glaze. This dish is fine served at room temperature and will make tasty leftovers.

I recommend serving it alongside Shannon Sarna’s Honey Whole-Wheat Challah, which combines the best of a sweet indulgent challah with the healthfulness of whole-wheat flour and even ground flaxseed.

Orange Maple Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 navel oranges (for zest and juice listed below)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 scallions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/3 cup maple syrup (grade B is best for cooking and baking)

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon orange zest

Directions

Rinse and pat dry salmon fillets.

Place on large plate and salt and pepper each piece. Set aside.

Heat a large, cast iron or non-stick frying pan. Do not oil. When the pan is hot add sesame seeds. Stir often and watch carefully to avoid burning. Toast until golden. Set aside in small dish.

Juice orange to fill 1/3 cup and set aside.

Grate or zest orange peel being careful to do so with a light hand. Do not zest white pith (it’s bitter). Measure 1 tablespoon and set aside.

Wipe out frying pan and place on medium flame. Heat EVOO until glistening and place salmon fillets, skin side down in pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden.

Turn gently and brown the second side. Do not move fish while it is cooking. If skin sticks or falls off, it’s OK. It may be discarded if you like.

Remove fish from pan and set aside.

Place remaining ingredients (except sesame seeds) in pan and stir to combine. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce is reduced and thickened.

If using a cast iron pan, return salmon to the pan and spoon sauce on top of fillets. If using a non-stick pan, place fillets in an ovenproof dish (spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking) and spoon sauce over fish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until fish is cooked to your liking. If you like the salmon, cooked through, it should flake with a fork.

Plate salmon with glaze from the bottom of pan and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Note: This dish may be served hot, warm or at room temperature. It makes great leftovers.

Honey Whole Wheat Challah

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast

1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

2-2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

2 egg yolks plus 1 teaspoon water + 1 teaspoon honey

Whole flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds (optional)

Thick sea salt (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl, place yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and lukewarm water. Allow to sit around 10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.

In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. After the water-yeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil and honey. Mix thoroughly. Pro tip: use the same cup to measure the honey as you used for the oil, which will allow for easier clean-up of the sticky honey.

Add another 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup regular flour and eggs and mix until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer.

Add another 1 1/2-2 cups of mixed flour, mixing thoroughly and then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead remaining 1/2 cup flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 10 minutes (or however long your hands will last).

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Allow to rise at least 4 hours, punching down at least once if possible.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Braid challah into desired shape. Allow challah to rise another 90 minutes, or until you can see the size has grown and challah seems light. This step is very important to ensure a light and fluffy challah.

In a small bowl beat 2 egg yolks with 1 teaspoon water and 1 teaspoon honey.

Brush egg wash liberally over challah. Sprinkle with seeds and thick sea salt if desired.

If making one large challah, bake around 28 minutes; if making two smaller challot, bake 24-26 minutes. When making round challot, make sure the middle has cooked through, which might require an extra 1-2 minutes baking time.