Salmon Wings with Rhubarb Tamari, Vegan XO Tofu, and Summer Vegetables

Mushroom Vegan XO

Finely chopped mushrooms, shallots, and garlic give this seafood-free XO a chewy, deeply savory texture. Gentle frying perfumes the oil without scorching the aromatics.

Ingredients

• 20 g dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 2 medium shallots, very finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsp finely grated ginger
• 1 tsp red chile flakes
• 2 tsp gluten-free tamari
• 1 tsp gluten-free mushroom miso
• 1 tsp rice vinegar

Instructions

1. Cover the shiitakes with boiling water and soak for 20 minutes. Squeeze thoroughly dry, discard tough stems, and mince the caps into small, irregular crumbs.
2. Heat the avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until softened and beginning to turn golden.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring frequently, until darker and lightly chewy. Add garlic, ginger, and chile flakes; cook for 2 minutes without letting the garlic burn.
4. Stir in tamari and miso carefully; the moist ingredients may spit. Cook for another minute, remove from the heat, and stir in the vinegar. Keep the mixture spoonable, with visible seasoned oil.

Notes

• This makes a little more than needed for the tofu. Use about 1 tablespoon per serving, including some of the oil.

Gently Warmed Tofu with Vegan XO

Soft, mild tofu balances the concentrated mushroom condiment. Warming it gently preserves its delicate texture.

Ingredients

• 14–16 oz soft or silken tofu
• 4 tbsp Mushroom Vegan XO, with its oil

Instructions

1. Drain the tofu carefully and cut into large blocks or wedges. Place in a shallow heatproof bowl.
2. Steam over gently simmering water for 6–8 minutes, until warmed through. Carefully pour off any released water.
3. Divide among small bowls and spoon the XO and its seasoned oil over the top just before serving.

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Shoyu

A hot, uncrowded pan blisters the skins while keeping the peppers juicy. Shoyu added off heat coats them without burning.

Ingredients

• 10 oz shishito peppers
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 tsp gluten-free shoyu
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Wash the peppers and dry thoroughly, leaving the stems attached.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add avocado oil, then the peppers in a single layer, working in batches if necessary.
3. Cook for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally rather than constantly stirring, until blistered in patches and just softened.
4. Remove from the heat, toss with the shoyu, and scatter with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Gluten-free tamari can replace the gluten-free shoyu if needed.

Rhubarb Tamari

Rhubarb supplies a clean, fruity acidity that cuts through the fatty salmon collars. A restrained amount of honey rounds the sauce without making it a sweet glaze.

Ingredients

• 100 g rhubarb stalk, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp gluten-free tamari
• 1 tsp honey

Instructions

1. Combine rhubarb and water in a small saucepan. Cover and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, until the rhubarb collapses.
2. Press through a fine sieve, discarding the fibrous solids. Return the liquid to the saucepan and stir in tamari and honey.
3. Simmer for 1–2 minutes, until lightly concentrated but still pourable. Taste: it should be distinctly tart and savory, not syrupy. Add water a teaspoon at a time if too salty or intense.

Notes

• If using a prepared rhubarb tamari, use it directly to taste rather than adding the tamari and honey in this recipe.
• Fresh or frozen rhubarb works; use stalks only.

Broiled Salmon Wings

The fatty meat around the fins stays succulent under high heat. Serving the rhubarb tamari at the end preserves its brightness and avoids scorching the sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 lb salmon wings or small collar sections, about 8 pieces, scales and gills removed
• 2 tsp avocado oil
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 3–4 tbsp Rhubarb Tamari
• 1 tsp mixed toasted white and black sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp finely crumbled nori

Instructions

1. Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the element. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. Pat the salmon wings very dry, checking for remaining scales or loose bone fragments. Rub with avocado oil and season lightly with salt.
3. Arrange with the thicker flesh exposed to the heat. Broil for 8–12 minutes, turning once if needed for even cooking. Shield thin fin tips with small pieces of foil if they begin to scorch.
4. Cook until the flesh is opaque, releases readily from the bone, and reaches 145°F in the thickest edible part without touching bone.
5. Spoon rhubarb tamari sparingly over the cooked fish and finish with sesame and nori. Serve extra sauce alongside.

Notes

• Collar size varies considerably; begin checking small pieces at 6 minutes and remove them individually as they finish.
• These cuts contain bones and fins; provide a small discard bowl at the table.

Dragon Tongue Beans with Kyoto Peaso

Brief blanching cooks the broad pods evenly before a quick toss in pea miso. A little bean water turns the paste into a light coating rather than a heavy sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 lb dragon tongue beans, stem ends trimmed
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
• 1 1/2 tbsp gluten-free Kyoto peaso or gluten-free pea miso
• 2–3 tbsp reserved bean cooking water
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• to taste salt, for blanching water

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for 4–6 minutes, until tender with a little bite. Reserve some cooking water, then drain.
2. Mix the peaso with 2 tablespoons of the hot cooking water until smooth.
3. Heat avocado oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 20 seconds, then add the beans and toss for 1–2 minutes.
4. Lower the heat and fold in the loosened peaso. Add another tablespoon of water if necessary to form a thin, glossy coating.
5. Remove from the heat and add rice vinegar. Taste before adding any additional salt.

Notes

• Dragon tongue beans lose much of their purple striping when cooked; judge doneness by tenderness, not color.

Fried Japanese Sweet Potato Rounds

Steaming first produces creamy centers without over-browning the naturally sweet flesh. Drying the rounds before frying gives them crisp cut faces while the skins hold them together.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb Japanese sweet potatoes, scrubbed, skin on
• 1/3 cup avocado oil, or enough for a shallow layer in the pan
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp mixed toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Cut the sweet potatoes into rounds about 3/4 inch thick. Steam for 15–22 minutes, until a skewer enters the center easily but the rounds remain intact.
2. Spread on a rack or tray and let steam-dry for at least 15 minutes. Blot any remaining surface moisture.
3. Heat a shallow layer of avocado oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 350°F.
4. Fry in uncrowded batches for 3–4 minutes per cut side, adjusting the heat to maintain steady sizzling without burning. The faces should be deep golden and crisp.
5. Drain on a rack, sprinkle with flaky salt and sesame, and serve hot.

Notes

• The potatoes can be steamed a day ahead, cooled, and refrigerated. Dry their surfaces again before frying.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The sauces and steamed potatoes can wait; the fish, peppers, and fried potatoes are best finished close to serving.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Soak the shiitakes. Cut and start steaming the sweet potatoes; prepare the rhubarb tamari while they cook.
2. 0:20 — Spread the steamed potatoes out to dry. Mince the soaked mushrooms and cook the vegan XO. Trim the beans, wash and dry the peppers, and prepare the tofu.
3. 0:40 — Blanch the beans and reserve some cooking water. Heat the broiler and prepare the salmon wings.
4. 0:45 — Begin frying the potato rounds. Hold finished batches on a rack in a 200°F oven, then remove before switching the oven to broil.
5. 0:55 — Broil the salmon. Meanwhile, steam the tofu and finish the beans with peaso.
6. 1:00 — Blister the shishitos in a separate hot skillet. Spoon XO over the tofu and arrange the hot side dishes.
7. 1:10–1:15 — Check salmon doneness, dress it with rhubarb tamari, and serve everything immediately.

Notes

• For a more relaxed finish, make both sauces and steam the potatoes the day before.

Plating

Separate bowls preserve the tofu's delicacy and keep the shoyu and XO from overwhelming the fish and vegetables.

Instructions

1. Arrange salmon wings on a large warm platter with dragon tongue beans to one side and sweet potato rounds beside them.
2. Spoon small amounts of rhubarb tamari onto the fish rather than pooling it beneath the potatoes.
3. Serve the tofu in shallow individual bowls, with the dark XO centered on top and a little seasoned oil around it.
4. Pile the shishitos into a separate shallow bowl. Put extra rhubarb tamari and a bowl for fish bones on the table.

Leftover Path

Separating the crisp, soft, and sauced components makes reheating more successful. Picking the salmon while it is still easy to handle simplifies the next meal.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate leftovers in separate covered containers within 2 hours. Pick remaining salmon from the bones and use within 2 days; use tofu, beans, peppers, and potatoes within 3 days.
2. Reheat sweet potato rounds in a 425°F oven or air fryer until hot and crisp, about 8–12 minutes.
3. Warm the beans and peppers briefly in a skillet with a splash of water. Reheat tofu gently by steaming, and warm salmon covered over low heat; bring reheated leftovers to 165°F.
4. Refrigerate the rhubarb tamari and homemade XO separately and use within 4 days, or freeze in small portions for longer storage.
5. For a second meal, serve flaked salmon and beans with the reheated potatoes, using a little rhubarb tamari or XO as the finishing condiment.