Grilled Maine Salmon in Lemongrass Broth Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

3 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves removed and thinly sliced

4 Kaffir lime leaves or 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 or 2 jalapeño chilies, to taste

6 cups water

2 tablespoons

nuoc mam or Thai fish sauce

2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

16 shiitake mushrooms (about 3 ounces), washed, stemmed and quartered

4 green onions, trimmed and sliced thinly on the diagonal

4 ounces

tat soi or watercress, stems trimmed

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skinned

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 cup cilantro leaves for garnish

1. Preheat grill or broiler. Soak the rice sticks in hot tap water for 3 minutes or until softened. Drain.

2. Mince the ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and chilies finely by hand or in a small chopper. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add the ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and chilies. Season to taste with nuoc mam. Add carrots, shiitakes, green onions and noodles. Simmer about 1 minute. Just before serving, stir in the tat soi or watercress.

3. Brush salmon with oil and grill or broil 3 minutes per side or until fish turns opaque and medium rare.

4. Ladle the broth into 4 large soup bowls, dividing the vegetables evenly. Top with the salmon and garnish with cilantro.

Recipe excerpted with permission from Cooking In A Healthy Way (Random House) by Nora Pouillon.