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sockeye salmon (ask for a cut

that includes the belly) fillet,

cut into 4 equal portions

Banana leaves,25 cut into four

8½-by-11-inch pieces

1 ounce shiitake mushrooms,

stems removed, tops sliced

thin (heaping ¼ cup)

¼ cup thinly sliced onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh

shiso leaves, dill, or mint

4 teaspoons unsalted butter

As if Hajime Sato wasn’t badass enough, riding his motorcycle around Seattle and ruling over his sushi bar with his webcams and sushi rules, he decided, after fifteen years of running his restaurant Mashiko, to stop contributing to the problems of the oceans. In 2009 he went 100 percent sustainable (as of this writing, his is one of only four sustainable sushi bars in the country): no more bluefin tuna, unagi, or farmed imported shrimp. It turns out Hajime does have a soft spot; he saves it for the fish and for those customers with an open mind.

SERVES 4

In a medium bowl, combine the sake, mirin, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, and salt. Add the salmon pieces and let them marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Lay the banana leaves out on a counter. On each leaf, place a quarter of the mushrooms, onions, and shiso leaves. Top with a piece of the salmon, reserving the marinade. Top each salmon piece with a teaspoon of butter. Fold the left and right sides of the leaves over the fish and then tuck under the top and bottom edges to form a square packet. Place the packets into a steamer basket. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add 2 cups water; when it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer, place the steamer basket into the pan, and cover. Cook for 8 minutes per inch of fish (measured at its thickest point).

Meanwhile, add the marinade to a small saucepan over high heat, and reduce until it has a syrupy consistency, about 15 minutes. Remove the salmon packets from the steamer basket and let them sit, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes. Check one packet and make sure the salmon is cooked to the doneness you like. Serve each person a banana packet and pass a bowl of the sauce.

PAIRING: A pinot gris, such as Chehalem 3 Vineyards 2008, Willamette Valley, Oregon, or a Beaujolais.

grilled sockeye salmon with fennel two ways

For the fennel salt:

1 tablespoon dried fennel

seeds

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

For the vegetables:

1 large fennel bulb, stems

removed, cut into thin

wedges, small frond pieces

reserved for garnish

1 red onion, cut into thick slices

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive

oil

For the salad:

¼ cup plain Greek-style yogurt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pinch of cayenne

½ teaspoon honey

Salt

4 cups salad greens (mixture of

arugula, frisée, mizuna etc.)

For the salmon:

1 pound sockeye salmon fillet,

skin on, cut into 4 equal

portions

Vegetable oil, for oiling the grill

When I was a child, I despised black jellybeans. I went so far as to think of them as assault weapons designed by adults to keep the candy bowl away from the children (see also: Good & Plentys and black licorice drops). But tastes change, children mature into adults, and suddenly I’m the one foisting licorice-tasting fennel onto children’s plates. Fennel has become my favorite vegetable, next to kale; it marries perfectly with the strong character and richness of wild salmon. In this recipe, it is featured two ways: as a fennel salt rub and in wedges, smoky and sweet from the grill.

SERVES 4

To prepare the fennel salt, grind the fennel seeds, salt, and peppercorns together in a spice grinder. Reserve.

To prepare the vegetables, in a medium bowl, toss the fennel and onion with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the fennel salt.

To prepare the salad, in a small bowl combine the yogurt, mustard, cayenne, and honey. Season to taste with salt. Right before serving, lightly coat the greens with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Reserve the rest to use as a sauce for the salmon.

To prepare the salmon, remove the pin bones.26 Coat the salmon pieces on all sides with the remaining fennel salt and set them aside on a plate in the refrigerator.

Preheat an outdoor gas grill