Recipe: Gingered Salmon

Serves 4 to 6

1 ½ pounds salmon fillet, skinned and cut into bite-size pieces

1 ounce (about 30 grams) dried bonito flakes (see Kitchen Note)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons potato starch, divided

¼ cup soy sauce

1 ounce piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

Fresh ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Steamed rice

Lemon wedges

Sea salt

1. Place salmon in a bowl. Sprinkle with bonito flakes and 2 tablespoons potato starch. Add soy sauce, ginger and some black pepper. Mix well and let marinate 30 to 60 minutes.

2. Pour about 1 ½ inches of vegetable oil in the bottom of a 10-to-12-inch deep skillet. Heat to 350 degrees over medium-high heat. (A cube of bread dropped into the oil should begin to sizzle immediately.)

3. While the oil is heating, spread remaining 1 cup potato starch on a large plate. Don't scrape marinade off salmon. Roll pieces in starch one by one so they are well-coated, then shake to remove excess.

4. Cook half the salmon at a time in the hot oil until lightly browned on all sides, about 1 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels; keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Repeat with remaining salmon. Serve with steamed rice and season with lemon and sea salt.

Times Kitchen Note: Dried bonito flakes, known as katsuo-bushi or katsuobushi in Japanese cuisine, are flakes of dried, smoked bonito fish. Look for the product in Asian food markets; we also found it at Whole Foods.

From "The Ethnic Paris Cookbook: Bringing the French Melting Pot into Your Kitchen" by Charlotte Puckette and Olivia Kiang-Snaije