Salmon with Japanese Plum Wine

Being passive drinkers, we are often clueless about wine even when we are offered the best, but there is always a good bottle sitting at home and constantly replenished.

Note : this is not an ad. Neither am I paid for this post. =P

My love relationship with Japanese Choya Plum Wine or ' Umeshu ' has long influenced big boys like Daddy and the Bear. Yes, Japanese Choya Plum Wine fascinates the ladies, and lures gentlemen drinkers alike. Lightly alcoholic, the wine infused with the sweet and sour taste of plum is delightful to anyone, anytime.

Do you know? Plum wine is homemade in some prefectures of Japan. When the harvest of plum begins, the method is widely shared on tv and magazines. Seemingly easy indeed, and the wine can be consumed a year later. To be on the safe side, we would rather buy this household brand which is available year round at a very cheap price.

I shall share different ways of drinking this wine some time later. For now, the wine is used for this recipe. =)

Evolved from the Japanese Terriyaki flavour, this dish has the flavour of plum emphasized. With a pinch of wit, I decided to throw a plum in and it turned out to be a positive move! The plum and salmon complemented each other so finely , Bear and I actually fought over them. =P Very well, I shall throw in 2 plums next time.

Recipe for Salmon with Japanese Plum Wine

Serves 2 people

Salmon pieces for 2 persons. Cutting into wedges is optional, remove bones if you must do so.

Japanese Plum Wine ( Choya Umeshu ) : 3 tablespoon

2 plums from the bottle of wine, cut into fleshy pieces, not too small. Discard the seeds.

Soy sauce : 1 tablespoon

Mirin : 1 tablespoon

Water : 1 tablespoon

Brown sugar ( or white ) : 1/2 teaspoon

Olive oil : 2 1/2 tablespoon

Wheat flour

Salt

Pepper

Salad idea : Green salad leaves, sliced onion , tomato, olive, nuts, etc.

1. Lightly marinate salmon with salt and pepper. Coat salmon ligthly with wheat flour.

2. Fry salmon with olive oil in a pan, till golden brown. Draw out salmon and put aside. Wipe off excess oil from pan.

3. In a bowl, mix wine, soy sauce, mirin, water and brown sugar. Mix well. Add in plum pieces. I've added some black fungus for mine ( it's optional ).

4. Heat pan at medium fire. When the pan is hot enough, throw in salmon pieces again, pour in the bowl of mixture prepared in step 3 and stir fry. Do not cook too long for it will soften the plum much. The dish is ready when the mixture starts to thicken a little. Draw out all the ingredients. The remaining sauce should go very well with accompanied salad, if any.

The fleshy plums give salmon a desirable taste, and I suppose they go well with Mackerel too. ( ? Well, I'll find that out... ) The mild tinge of alcohol is no way overwhelming, but absolutely complementing. A refreshing and appetizing dish perfect for Summer. =D