Tamari Salmon Rice Bowl

A subtle serving of rice and fish, accompanied by steamed and pickled veggies, warmed in a pool of hot, flavored broth.  Great as the weather turns colder.  Warm up!
4 servings salmon fillet, about 1 lb
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
1 quart chicken broth
1 Tbsp Nam Pla, Thai fish sauce
2 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce

2 cups broccoli flowerettes
1 cup pickled vegetables
1 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds
2 green onions, minced

4 cups cooked rice, about 1-1/2 cups raw

Heat a bit of canola oil in a large, high-sided pan. Sauté the ginger, garlic and jalapeño for about 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the broth, fish sauce and tamari and bring to a boil.  Place the salmon into the broth, cover, and cook about 3 minutes.

Scatter the broccoli into the broth around the fish and cook another 2 minutes. Remove the fish and broccoli from the broth onto a plate. Gently skin the fish.

Assemble the rice bowl by placing about a cup of rice on one half of the bowl. Lade on one cup of broth into the bowl, including some of the garlic, ginger and pepper. Bisect the rice with a salmon fillet and place broccoli on one side and pickled veggies on the other. Scatter with sesame seeds and green onion, and serve.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  I love to eat rice bowls for breakfast when traveling in Asia.  Most hotels have the fixings, and the Japanese always have such great pickled vegetables!  I used my own pickled veggies and used about 1/2 cup per serving - more than just a condiment.  Pickled veggies give such a great tangy contrast to the subtle flavors of the rice bowl.  You could use many a pickled veggie from a jar - check the Italian section of your grocer. Melissa Clark - I agree with you that pickles add a zing to a rice bowl!