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10/28/2015 12:00 AMWhat a year it’s been so far for Jacques Pépin.
The award-winning master chef, who is also a food columnist, teacher, and author of many cookbooks, celebrated his 80th birthday by publishing his 21st cookbook, by doing interviews with news organizations all around the world, and by, most recently, becoming the recipient of the first ever Julia Child Award.
How fitting is that?
The award, created and bestowed by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, is designed to “encourage people to cook for themselves, to better understand where food comes from, to value eating and drinking and the importance that both can play in improving the quality of life,” among other goals. The recipient is supposed to have significant accomplishments in the areas of education, communication, innovation, mentoring, integrity, building bridges, and independence. Sounds like Madison’s own Jacques.
He apparently also believes it’s at least as good to give as to receive. Smithsonian.com reports that Jacques has donated to the Smithsonian a gorgeous hand-painted menu from his last dinner with Julia Child, one of his dearest friends and collaborators. Find out more about that by going to Smithsonian.com and searching on Jacques’ name.
Here is a recipe from Jacques’ latest cookbook, Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen, that combines a traditional broiled salmon with a spicy, innovative Miso glaze amped up with some Sriracha. Like so much of what he does, it gives his readers the best of what’s old and what’s new. We’d expect no less from Jacques.
Broiled Salmon with Miso Glaze, from Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen Published by Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Oct. 6, 2015)
Serves 4
2 tablespoons red miso paste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons tamari or dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce, such as Sriracha
4 skinless salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each and about 1 ¼ inches thick)
Mix all the ingredients except the salmon together until smooth.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, preferably nonstick. Put the salmon on a plate and, using a spoon, spread the marinade all over the fillets. Place the fillets on the lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.
At cooking time, position an oven rack so it is 5 to 6 inches from the broiler and preheat the broiler. Place the pan of salmon on the rack and broil for about 4 minutes, until the salmon is nicely browned, but still pink inside.
Serve the salmon on warm plates, drizzling any juices over it.