Chef Bill Kim of Chicago’s bellyq {1400 West Randolph Street, Chicago; 312.563.1010} says, “This is my homage to the seafood po’ boys I eat every time I go to New Orleans. These iconic sandwiches are served on baguettes, but what many people don’t know is that the big Vietnamese population in New Orleans uses rice flour to make the baguettes for their po’ boys and their bahn mi, their traditional sandwiches. I take that adaptation a step further and use crispy rice cakes as the base for an open-faced sandwich. Feel free to use a baguette or even a hamburger bun in place of the rice cakes.”
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 12 equal pieces
- ½ cup Blackening Seasoning
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons Lemongrass Chili Sauce
- 1 cup Nuoc Cham Sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon Korean chili flakes
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 6 crispy rice cakes
Method
Place a grill pan on the grill grate, then heat the grill for direct heat cooking to medium-high (400°F to 450°F).
While the grill is heating, season the salmon pieces with the Blackening Seasoning (see below) and set aside.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, hoisin sauce, and Lemongrass Chili Sauce (see below) in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Whisk together the Nuoc Cham Sauce (see below), yogurt, sesame oil, sambal oelek, and chili flakes in a separate bowl to make a dressing. Place the cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and cilantro in a large bowl, pour on the dressing. Toss until well mixed.
Place the salmon on the grill pan, close the lid, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the salmon over, close the lid again, and cook for another 2 minutes, until lightly charred.
Place the rice cakes on a platter, and top each with a spoonful of the Asian slaw. Remove the salmon from the grill and place 2 pieces on top of each slaw-topped rice cake. Spoon a dollop of the mayo mixture on the salmon, and serve.
(Chef Kim tip: When you need very thinly sliced vegetables, like the cucumbers in this recipe, and you don’t have a mandoline, you can use a vegetable peeler instead of a knife to get super thin slices. Just run the peeler down the length of the cucumber to get long, thin slices, and then cut them into smaller pieces.)
Blackening Seasoning
- ¼ cup sweet paprika
- ¼ cup granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Combine the paprika, granulated garlic, chili powder, and salt in a small bowl and stir to mix. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard for up to six months.
Lemongrass Chili Sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced, peeled fresh ginger
- ¼ cup minced lemongrass
- 1 cup sweet chili sauce
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ¼ cup sambal oelek
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Combine the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chili sauce, fish sauce, sambal oelek, and oil in a bowl and whisk until blended. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to two months (see note).
Nuoc Cham Sauce
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 green Thai chilies, minced, with seeds
Combine the brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, water, garlic, and chilies in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to two months. Or freeze in standard ice-cube trays, then transfer the cubes (2 tablespoons each) to plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
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