Spring through fall, you may be able to find wild Alaska king or sockeye salmon (if you live in the Northwest or even on the West Coast, this won’t be a problem), and that is ideal for this dish. Farm-raised salmon, available year-round everywhere, is certainly an acceptable substitute, but it is fattier and has less flavor, so it’ll make a bit more of a mess when you brown it, and it will not stand up quite as well to the sauce. Serve this with short-grain rice (page 507).

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　4 salmon steaks, each 6 to 8 ounces

　　1/3 cup sake or slightly sweet white wine, like a German Kabinett or Spätlese

　　1/3 cup mirin or 2 tablespoons honey mixed with 2 tablespoons water

　　2 tablespoons sugar

　　1/3 cup soy sauce

　　

Step 1

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, then add the salmon. Brown quickly on both sides, not more than 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a plate and turn the heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons water, followed by the wine, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce. Stir to blend and, when the mixture is producing lively bubbles and beginning to thicken, return the salmon to the pan.

　　

Step 2

Cook, turning the salmon in the sauce, until it becomes more of a glaze than a liquid, not more than a couple of minutes. By that time the salmon will be cooked adequately (it should still be slightly uncooked in its center). Serve hot or at room temperature.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.