Tea-Smoked Five Spice Salmon
Thick salmon fillets marinated in five-spice, ginger and orange, then stove-top smoked in a wok over rice, tea and star anise and served on wok-seared baby bok choy.
⏱️ Prep: 20 min🍳 Cook: 15 min
Ingredients
| 2–4 pieces | salmon (thick pieces) | |
| 4–6 | baby bok choy | |
| — | chili threads or chopped scallions (garnish) | |
| 4 | garlic cloves, whole | |
| 3 Tbsp | 45 ml | fresh ginger, sliced |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | five spice |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | olive oil |
| 5 Tbsp | 75 ml | soy sauce |
| 3 Tbsp | 45 ml | brown sugar |
| 1 | orange (juice and zest) | |
| 2-inch | cinnamon stick | |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | whole cloves |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | fennel seed |
| 2 | whole star anise | |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | Szechuan peppercorns |
| 3 Tbsp | 45 ml | rice |
| 2 Tbsp | 30 ml | loose tea leaves (green or black) |
| 2 Tbsp | 30 ml | sugar |
| 2 | star anise, broken (optional) | |
| 2 | dried red chilies (optional) |
Instructions
- If making your own five spice, toast the cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat until just fragrant, 1–2 minutes, then grind smooth in a coffee grinder.
- Make the marinade: blend the garlic, ginger, five spice, olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar and orange juice with half the zest until smooth (reserve the other half of the zest for garnish). Set aside 3 Tbsp of marinade for the bok choy.
- Place the salmon and the rest of the marinade in a zip-lock bag and marinate 1 hour or overnight.
- Turn the oven to broil. Prepare the wok for smoking: line it with 4 layers of foil (fold a large sheet in half twice into an 8-inch square). Mix the smoking ingredients and spread them over the foil to about 4 inches across. Set a steamer basket or rack over the mix so it sits above and does not touch it, leaving room for the smoke to circulate.
- Quarter the bok choy. Take the salmon from the marinade, blot only the bottom side on paper towel, and place skin-side down on the rack so pieces do not touch each other or the wok edges. Cover the wok with foil, then the lid.
- Set the wok over high heat for 2–3 minutes until you see little puffs of smoke, then reduce to medium for 2–3 minutes and medium-low for 5 minutes. Two 1½-inch-thick pieces took about 8 minutes total (cooked to medium).
- Caramelize the top of the salmon under the broiler for a minute or two, or with a chef's torch, then set aside in a warm oven.
- Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat, add the baby bok choy and cook, turning, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved marinade and toss to coat, letting it reduce slightly.
- Make a bed of bok choy, top with the salmon and garnish with the reserved orange zest, chopped scallions, cracked pepper and chili threads.