Magnificent News: Eat Voraciously: The last day of May

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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The last day of May

Happy Wednesday, all. Before we get to today's recipe, for a salmon with stir-fried asparagus, I have a few items to share.

The poet Walt Whitman was born on this day in 1819. Well before our nation's current spate of book bans, Whitman's now-famous "Leaves of Grass" was banned by libraries in many states in the mid-1800s. I love this line from his poem, "Song of Myself," which so succinctly reminds us of our shared humanity: "For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you."
Svetlana Alexandrovna Alexievich was also born on May 31. A keen observer of human relations, she has noted that "People always speak beautifully when they are in love or close to death." When she won the Nobel Prize in 2015, the Belarussian-Ukrainian essayist and historian, who writes in Russian, said of her work, "I always aim to understand how much humanity is contained in each human being, and how I can protect this humanity in a person."
I have been on a major honey kick. It started after I picked up a bottle of Licking Creek Bend Farms raw honey at a local farmers market. It was crystallized and had a mild flavor and almost chewy texture that I fell in love with. I put the word out that I was looking for more, ideally local, honey to try, and soon found myself with a small collection. Favorites include the whipped honey from Blue Ridge Apiaries, Invisible Cities' raw honey, Zach and Zoe's buckwheat honey and Tremblay Apiaries goldenrod honey. I am also curious about this Eucalyptus honey from Sardinia.

A long while ago I tasted a honey that was produced by bees that pollinated flowers along a coastline where the vegetation was regularly sprayed with the salty sea. It had a slight salinity to it that was wonderful. I wish I could remember where I had it. Has anyone heard of honey like this? Email me.

And now, let's cook. Today's recipe involves an adaptable stir-fry and a fillet of seared salmon, but don't let that stop you from using it as a template for any kind of seared main course alongside a simple spring vegetable stir-fry. See the substitutions section, below, for ideas.

Today's recipe

Photos by Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Seared Salmon With Citrus Asparagus Stir-Fry

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Storage: Refrigerate the asparagus and salmon in separate containers for up to 3 days.

To save or print this recipe, view it in our Recipe Finder here.

Servings: 4
Total time: 35 mins

Ingredients

For the stir-fry

3 cloves garlic, divided
1 medium jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on a diagonal about 1/2-inch pieces
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 to 2 lemons, divided
Zest of 1 lemon, 1 generous teaspoon
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems (about 1/2 bunch)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

For the salmon

4 (4- to 5-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided (may substitute extra-virgin olive oil)
Fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, optional, for serving

Steps

1. Make the stir-fry: Slice 2 cloves of garlic into thin slices. Mince or grate the remaining clove.

2. Heat a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Add the jalapeño, sliced garlic and olive oil, stirring constantly, until the garlic just begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add the asparagus. Sprinkle with the salt and cook, tossing occasionally, until the asparagus begins to brown around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and cook, stirring constantly, until the asparagus is coated in sauce, but still firm, about 1 minute.

4. Add the minced garlic, lemon zest, the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the ginger. Toss to combine and cook, continuing to toss for 1 minute, or until the ginger is fragrant.

5. Remove the pan from heat. Transfer the asparagus to a platter and toss with the cilantro and sesame seeds.

6. Make the salmon: Pat the salmon dry. Rub the oil over both sides of each fillet. Season the skin side with a pinch of salt.

7. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles when it hits the surface. Add the fillets, skin side up and cook until just lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the fillets over and reduce the heat to medium. Generously sprinkle the fillets with ground pepper.

8. Cook until the salmon looks almost cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes; you can check using the tip of a sharp knife or just by looking at the sides of each fillet, where you should see a slightly darker center. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet and the desired doneness. Remove the fish from the skillet and keep warm.

9. Divide the asparagus among four plates and top each with a salmon fillet. Serve with additional lemon on the side, if desired.

Stir-fry recipe adapted from Bon Appétit (May 2019). Salmon recipe from recipe editor Ann Maloney. Tested by Ann Maloney.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 381; Total Fat: 27 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Cholesterol: 60 mg; Sodium: 404 mg; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 3 g; Protein: 27 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas: