Recipe(tried): Arctic Char Teriyaki with Pad Thai

I went to the our local whole foods store with only a vague idea of what I was going to fix for dinner. DH had said that grilled shrimp or fish sounded good. When I got there, their demo person was giving samples of these recipes. After a taste, I knew what I was serving for dinner:-) DH and I thought both were keepers. Granted, it is definitely a fusion menu but I thought the two went together nicely.

"Anyone who has ever eaten in a Japanese restaurant has no doubt seen the various teriyaki preparations. Although commercial teriyaki sauces are widely sold, it is easy to make youe own; it is essentially a sweetened soy sauce that is used as a glaze."

Preparation tip: Be sure to take the basting instruction seriously. Baste frequently, so that the fish will darken and absorb the sweetness of the glaze.

Arctic Char Teriyaki

Sauce

3 Tbl. soy sauce
3 Tbl. honey
2 Tbl. dry sherry
2 tsp. peeled, finely chopped gingerroot
2 tsp. olive oil

Fish

Vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray for brushing the grill grate
4 boneless arctic char fillets, skin on (about 6 oz. each)

In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients.
Start the grill.
When the grill is hot, remove the grill grate, spray or brush it with the vegetable oil, then replace the grate on the grill.
Place the Arctic Char on a platter, and pour enough sauce over the fish to coat the fish thoroughly, reserving the rest of the sauce for basting.
Place the fish, flesh side down, on the grill, and grill the fish for 3 to 4 minutes, basting it several times with the reserved sauce. Turn the fillets, and continue grilling them, while basting frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are just done.

I had never made Pad Thai before and simply followed some verbal instructions that the demo person gave me so if this isn't authentic, it is, at least good with the Arctic Char. I am very reticent about most Asian cooking since most of what I have made hasn't turned out very well. Instead of giving up, which I had told DH I was doing, I decided to give it one more try. This time, happily, I liked the results:-) I guess that if there is a lesson, it is not to give up and that even an "old dog can learn new tricks:-)!"

Pad Thai

7 oz. package rice noodles
2 or 3 Tbl. canola oil
1 egg
1/2 c. snow peas, cut into small pieces
1/4 lb. shitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 c. bean sprouts, cut into smaller pieces (chopped coarsely)
3 or 4 green onions, chopped
1 Tbl. fish sauce
2 Tbl. soy sauce
1 Tbl. sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 c. of water to a boil. Turn off the heat and soak the noodles in the hot water for 3 to 5 minutes until soft but firm. Drain well and rinse with cold water.
Combine the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a small dish.
Heat 1 Tbl. oil in a wok over medium-low heat. Beat egg with a whisk.
Pour egg into hot wok and let cook "like an omelet." When the egg is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside. Cut the egg into small pieces.
Add the remaining oil to the wok and increase the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, stir-fry the snow peas and the mushrooms for a minute or so. Add the drained rice noodles and the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar combination. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the noodles are tender and coated with the sauce.
Add the bean sprouts, green onions and pieces of cooked egg, and heat briefly. Serve hot.
If you want to serve this dish by itself, you can stir-fry 4 oz. of chicken, shrimp, or tofu until cooked, before adding the noodles. Also, sprinkle with 4 oz. of finely chopped peanuts just before serving.