Chinese Five Spice Smoked Salmon with Bok Choy and Mushrooms

This is one of my favorite quick dinners. If you time it right and prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking (slice the mushrooms, trim the bok choy – mise en place!), the veggies will be done cooking in the time it takes the salmon to smoke. Also, the stovetop smoker eliminates the need to turn on my oven, which is basically a death wish in the middle of summer in my impossibly hot kitchen.

Chinese five spice smoked salmon and bok choy recipe on fmitk.com

To brine the salmon, you’ll need salt (sea or kosher), sugar, chinese five spice powder and salmon.
A note about salmon: If you can get wild-caught salmon, please do. I use wild-caught sockeye salmon from Trader Joe’s or Costco. It’s a bit more expensive, but worth it.

Combine sugar, salt and five spice powder in a resealable gallon bag. Add 1 cup of warm water and stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Add in 3 cups of cold water and the salmon. Chill to brine for 1 hour.

While the salmon brines, prep the veggies.

You’ll need baby bok choy, mushrooms (I used crimini), salt, sesame oil and garlic.

Slice the mushrooms. Trim the bottoms off of the bok choy and separate the leaves. Sometimes dirt gets stuck in between, make sure you give the leaves a good rinse and pat dry.

I decided to use apple wood chips to smoke the salmon. For salmon, I usually use alder wood, but any light fruit wood will work well.

Place 1 1/2 tbsp of wood chips in the bottom pan of the smoker. Place the drip tray and rack on top of the chips. Remove the salmon from the brine, pat dry, and place on the smoker rack and cover. Start a timer for 8 minutes once you see wisps of smoke emerging from the lid.

While the salmon is smoking, cook the bok choy.

In a large, non-stick skillet, add in olive oil, garlic and chili flakes if using. Heat over medium-high. Once the garlic is fragrant (about 1 minute) add in the mushrooms.

Saute the mushrooms until nicely browned, about 3 minutes.

Add in the bok choy and saute another 5 minutes, until wilted and tender yet still crisp.

Drizzle in sesame oil and stir to combine.

Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Salmon’s done! If you’re wondering what that white stuff is, it’s fish albumin. There are a number of factors that cause this, including cooking at too high of a heat or overcooking the fish. I think I just had the heat up a bit too high, but it’s okay. It’s not a pretty piece of salmon but it’s frickin’ DELICIOUS.

Lay down a bed of bok choy and mushrooms.

And top with a fillet of brined and smoked salmon.

I just love the color of this sockeye salmon!

makes 2-3 servings in about 15 minutes + 1 hour brining
adapted from food52

Ingredients

for the salmon

1 pound fillet of salmon (I used wild-caught sock-eye)
1/4 cup cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
1 1/2 tbsp apple wood chips* (see note below)

for the bok choy

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp chili flakes (optional)
10 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini)
1 1/2 lbs baby bok choy, trimmed and leaves separated
1 tbsp sesame oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions

for the salmon

In a gallon-sized resealable bag, combine five spice powder, salt and sugar. Add 1 cup of warm water and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 3 cups of cold water and the salmon. Let brine in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Remove the salmon from the brine and pat dry. Discard the brine. Place 1 1/2 tbsp of applewood chips in the bottom tray of the stovetop smoker. Cover smoker; start a timer once little wisps of smoke begin to come out the corners of the lid. Smoke salmon over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until desired doneness.

for the bok choy

While the salmon is smoking, add olive oil, garlic and chili flakes (if using) to a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the garlic becomes fragrant (about a minute), add in mushrooms and sauté to brown, about 3 minutes. Add in bok choy. Once the bok choy has wilted, about 5 minutes. add in sesame oil and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the salmon on a bed of bok choy and mushrooms.

Notes

If you don’t have a stovetop smoker, check out this DIY stovetop smoker on Saveur: DIY Stovetop Smoker.