An artist has got to eat - GREEN TEA LACQUERED SALMON

I am a great fan of salmon. This is a must add to my collection

GREEN TEA LACQUERED SALMON
This was posted in the North Jersey Bergen record

http://www.northjersey.com/food_dining/118483974_New_book_explores_cooking_with_tea.html

This recipe was created by chefs at Starwood Hotels. I have adapted it slightly from the original as published in "Culinary Tea."

1/2 cup boiling water
4 teaspoons loose-leaf green tea leaves
4 teaspoons honey
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, preferably with skin on
4 tablespoons (approximately) extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 bag baby spinach
1 medium shallot, minced
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup chicken stock
Pinch of fresh or dried thyme

Pour the boiling water over the tea leaves in a small bowl and add honey; stir to combine. Steep, covered, for 2-3 minutes, strain, and discard the leaves.

Place salmon in a glass or ceramic dish. Brush with the honey tea and pour any remaining tea around the fish. Let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

When ready to cook, preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet or broiler pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray. Place the salmon fillets in the pan skin-side down and broil until golden – the interior will not yet be cooked. The exact timing will vary, but it will not take long, so keep a careful eye on the salmon.

Remove the salmon from the oven and lower the heat to 350.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potatoes and sauté until golden, 6 to 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer them to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the garlic and spinach to the pan and sauté quickly, until the spinach is just wilted. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a separate bowl.

Return the salmon to the oven and bake until just cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and the shiitakes and sauté until shallots are translucent and the mushrooms have begun to release some of their juices, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the white wine and the lemon juice and stir over medium-high heat, scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the chicken stock and simmer to reduce by half again. Add thyme, salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Place a portion of spinach on each of four plates and distribute the mushroom-shallot mixture over the spinach. Top each portion with sweet potatoes and a piece of salmon and serve immediately.

Serves: 4.