Red-cooked Salmon with Asian Greens

Cut the salmon, leaving the skin on, into 4cm (1.5”) pieces. Using paper towels, pat dry the salmon all over.

Combine the ginger, soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, star anise, sugar and mashed fermented tofu, if using, in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Heat the peanut oil in a large wok or heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the salmon, skin side down, and cook for 2 minutes or until the skin starts to turn crisp.

In the meantime, for the sesame garlic greens, place all the ingredients along with 3 tablespoons of water into a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a plate and cook on HIGH in the microwave for 3 minutes.

Coming back to the salmon, add the sauce mixture to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the cooking liquid is very reduced and thickened and the fish is just cooked through. It should still be a bit pink in the middle, although cook it all the way through if you prefer. Add a little water if the glaze thickens too much and looks like it might burn around the edges. (I like to do the majority of the cooking skin side down, turning the salmon over near the end of the cook so the flesh doesn’t dry out.)

Transfer the salmon to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the pan sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with the sesame garlic greens and steamed rice.