Pan-fried salmon with teriyaki mustard glaze

Grilled teriyaki salmon was the initial plan, but boredom with repetition encouraged experimentation that transformed an already succulent dish into one that works the saliva glands into overdrive.  What a surprise! A normal teriyaki salmon is elevated into a mouthwatering and juicy treat with a simple and generous touch of mustard.  Should there be any expectations?  Perhaps not.  It is enough to have a curiosity to experiment on two ingredients that had been up to now used separately in the humble kitchen.  The hope is for the sweet saltiness of teriyaki sauce to work in harmony with those tangy yellow mustard.  The hope is for both ingredients to agree with each other. 

The peaceful agreement between teriyaki sauce and mustard was astounding.  Neither of them made any attempt to outshine the other, nor bully the other into oblivion.  Such bullying defeats the purpose of introducing two ingredients in the hope that both blend into the formation of something distinctively new, yet retaining the qualities and personalities of the original sources.  

The amalgamation of teriyaki sauce and mustard, reduced into a rich, creamy and shiny glaze, wrapped those salmon pieces with the sweet and salty, perked up yet mellowed and balanced with a prominent flash of sharp tang.  This is a glaze determined to keep the senses busy with enjoyment and surprises.  What a strange sensation...

Pan-friend salmon with teriyaki mustard glaze

(put together in a moment of boredom)

Ingredients

300-450g salmon fillets (about 1" thickness)

6 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 tbsp fine wholegrain mustard (add more if zapping the brain is the ultimate goal)

a little oil (for pan frying the salmon)

Method

1. Marinate salmon fillets with 3 tbsp of teriyaki sauce for at least one hour, or more if time is not an issue, but not overnight unless tough fish meat is what you seek.

2. Heat a little oil in a non stick frying pan.  Meantime, pat away excess marinate from the salmon fillet.

3. Pan fry the fillets, approximately 1 minute on each side.  If fillets are thicker, increase frying time just a little.  Idea is to brown the outer layer while cooking the fillets lightly.

4. Dish out the fillets and set aside.  Remove salmon skin at this stage if preferred.

5. Clean away excess oil from the frying pan.  

6. Mix 3 tbsp of teriyaki sauce and 1 tbsp of fine wholegrain mustard thoroughly.

7. Pour mixture into cleaned frying pan and reduce slightly.  Return all the salmon fillets into the sauce, coat each fillet evenly.  Sauce would be adequately reduced by the time coating is completed.  

8. Dish out and serve immediately, piping hot.  

Notes:

- I cannot stand fishy smell or taste, so it's got to be piping, piping hot for me.  My girl takes after me in this aspect.

- Do not overcook the fillet at the pan-frying stage as it will be returned to heat again in the coating stage.

- Watch the heat when reducing the teriyaki sauce and mustard mixture.  This really sizzles up fast and caramelize fast too!

- My girl cannot tolerate the soft bouncy fatty salmon skin.  Neither can I.  Remove it if it bothers you, but it really is such a waste of nutrients.  Imagine all the omega-3 or is it omega-6 or perhaps it is both, that goes to the trash bin.