Sake-Poached Salmon with Wilted Greens and Shallot Vinaigrette

The salmon and mixed greens contribute most of the water to this simple yet tasty entrée. If you don't happen to have sake on hand, substitute a dry white wine.

Water tally: 9.2 ounces.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• Vinaigrette:
• 2 1/2  tablespoons  minced shallots
• 2  tablespoons  lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon  rice wine vinegar
• 2  teaspoons  honey
• 2  teaspoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  tablespoon  extravirgin olive oil
• 
  Salmon:
• 1  cup  water
• 1/2  cup  sake (rice wine)
• 1  (1/2-inch) piece of peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 4  (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1 inch thick)
• 6  cups  chopped trimmed Swiss chard (about 8 ounces)
• 5  cups  spinach leaves (about 3 ounces)
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly add olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Set aside.

2. To prepare salmon, combine 1 cup water, sake, and ginger in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and add salmon to pan. Cover and simmer 6 minutes. Remove salmon and ginger from pan. Discard the ginger.

3. Add Swiss chard and spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until wilted. Stir in salt and pepper. Divide the spinach mixture evenly among 4 plates. Top each serving with 1 salmon fillet; drizzle each serving with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette.

Wine note: With the lively and abundant acidity of lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, and sake, this dish needs a bright, fresh wine to match. Try an affordable Austrian grüner veltliner like Loimer Lois 2006 ($14), with its refreshing lemon-lime and grapefruit flavors, and hints of English peas and beeswax. The slightly green, herbal finish permits it to complement the Swiss chard. —Jeffery Lindenmuth

Nutritional Information

Calories:

385 (38% from fat)

Fat:

16.1g (sat 2.5g,mono 6.6g,poly 5.5g)

Protein:

41.1g

Carbohydrate:

10.3g

Fiber:

1.9g

Cholesterol:

107mg

Iron:

3.8mg

Sodium:

617mg

Calcium:

95mg