CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Lavender Salmon

If you’ve never considered using the herb lavender in cooking, this recipe might change your mind.

Lavender Salmon

6 5-ounce salmon fillets

1¼ cup water

1 ounce table salt

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

1 tablespoon Sichuan pepper

½ tablespoon black peppercorns

4 ounces uncooked rice

1/3 cup sugar

Handful of lavender stalks and a few flowers

Heat water and ounce of salt until salt dissolves. Let cool. Soak salmon in it for 30 minutes. Remove salmon, rinse with water and pat dry. Toast sea salt and peppers in pan. Let cool. Grind and rub on fillets. Line wok with 2 layers of foil. Put rice, sugar and lavender on bottom. Place lightly greased rack on top. Arrange fillets on it. Put lid on wok. Seal with foil or damp paper towels. Place wok over medium-high heat. Once sugar and rice start to smoke, don’t open lid. Let it smoke for 20 minutes. Remove wok from heat. Leave for 15 minutes. Serve salmon warm or cold.

Yield: Serves 6.

Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at GrandForksHerald.com.

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