Whether or not one must eat a gluten free diet, we all feel better when we do.  Handmade pasta, conventional or GF, can be delicious, but there is something supremely satisfying about a nicely prepared fresh piece of fresh fish on a bed of creatively cooked chard cut into linguine width lengths. Plus it gives one implicit permission to splurge on a little cheese or something sweet afterwards.

This recipe calls for Hon Dashi Soup stock.  Made from Bonito flakes, it’s a secret ingredient often omitted from recipes, perhaps because it’s difficult to find.  One can order it on line, or get it at a well stocked Asian market.  Asian food is almost always enhanced by the smoky, slightly sweet flavors of Hon Dashi.  It’s in our larder for daily batches of Miso Soup. Forge ahead even if you can’t find it! This will still make a perfect dinner with salad and/or grilled asparagus.

GRILLED ASIAN SALMON ON CHARD “LINGUINE” – Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds of  fresh salmon fillet with the skin on

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon packed fresh lemon zest

3 tablespoons canola or light olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 8″ lengths of fresh rosemary (twigs), cut into two pieces.  You want two 4″ lengths per piece of fish.

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Wash and pat dry the fish. Cut into 4 equal portions if you sense it’ll make it easier to grill.

2.  In a small bowl combine the garlic, ginger, sea salt, pepper, lemon zest, and oils.  Blend into a loose paste and spread a little on the skin side of each fillet, and liberally on the flesh side.

3.  Place the fillets on a baking sheet, flesh side up, and lay the rosemary on the tops of the fillets. Set aside to (marinate) for 15 minutes and up to an hour.

4.  Heat the grill to 400F.  Place the filets rosemary side down and cook for 4 minutes. The rosemary stalks will help protect the integrity of the surface of the filets. Carefully flip and grill for another 4 minutes, checking towards the end of the cooking time to insure the fish is cooked to your satisfaction.  Using a large spatula and small baking sheet onto which one can invert/flip the filets may help.

5.  While the fish is cooking, the chard should be boiling.

6.  Place the filets on beds of prepared chard and drizzle with rice wine vinegar and/or lemon juice.

CHARD “LINGUINE”

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds fresh organic Rainbow Chard

1 “tea bag ” Hon Dashi Bonito Fish Stock (Hon Dashi), or 1 teaspoon stock granules

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon gluten free Tamari/Soy sauce

4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar or lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Boil 2 cups of water in a large pot.  Add a Hon Dashi “tea bag”, and boil covered for 1-10 minutes.  Alternately, bring the water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon Hon Dashi soup stock granules.

2.  While you’re preparing the stock, wash the chard, trimming the very ends of the stalks, and slice on the diagonal into linguine width strips.

3.  Add the chard to the boiling stock, cover and cook for 3 minutes until “al dente”. (More if you prefer.)

4.  Drain, remove the “tea bag” and return the chard to the pot. Toss with soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.  Correct the seasoning as necessary, but remembering the full spectrum of the seasoning on the fish.

Enjoy!

Hon Dashi packing

Soup stock dashi “tea” bag into the hot water

Toasted sesame seeds

“Tea” beginning to steep

Chopped chard

Adding the chard to the stock pot

Covered for 3 minutes

Draining and removing the bonito bag

Seasoning

Tossing the sesame seeds into the chard

Rosemary sprigs protected the fish

Used this special vinegar (honey ginger!)

Dinner for four

Served with artichokes