Sweet and salty salmon

Can we use one more twist for the salmon that’s a top favorite on menus these days? You bet, especially when it’s about carefree summer cooking at its best.

This new recipe for grilled salmon and noodles pairs sweet and smoky grilled salmon with a light Asian noodle salad, and it would work well both for a quick weeknight family meal, or for spur-of-the-moment entertaining.

“No need to cook noodles or wash a pot for this dish,” says Diane Morgan, who developed the recipe. “Rice vermicelli just needs to soften in a bowl of hot water while the grill heats. The glaze and salad dressing are a snap to make – everything is ready to eat in 30 minutes.”

Morgan is one to trust on salmon. Her new cookbook, “Salmon” (Chronicle, $24.95 paperback) features 75 of her other salmon recipes. While developing all these recipes, she says, “What became clear to me is how versatile salmon is, not only suitable to a wide range of preparation techniques, but what an affinity it has for so many flavors.

“The sweet and salty combination of honey and soy, classic in many Asian dishes, is perfect for salmon. The glaze doesn’t dominate the natural flavor of salmon, it enhances it.”

Ingredients for this honey-soy recipe include Asian sesame oil. “Sesame oil comes in two basic types,” she explained when asked about this. “One is light-colored and the sesame seeds have not been toasted before the oil is expressed. Asian sesame oil is darker with a lovely, stronger flavor and fragrance because the seeds are toasted before the oil is expressed.”

Morgan’s tip for getting the best of fresh: “The key to ensuring a fantastically flavorful cookout is starting with fresh, quality ingredients, especially when your menu includes salmon. When shopping for salmon, or any seafood for that matter, remember that fresh fish should never smell fishy. Look for fillets that are moist and freshly cut, not flat and browned at the edges. The skin should be silvery and bright.”

Honey-Soy Grilled Salmon with Cilantro Noodles

Three 2-ounce packages rice vermicelli

4 center-cut salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)

Olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons “lite” soy sauce

3 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon ground pepper

3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Vegetable oil for brushing

1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill. While the grill is heating, soak the rice vermicelli in a large bowl of hot water until softened, about 20 minutes.

Brush all sides of the salmon with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make the glaze for the salmon by combining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Set aside. To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, the sesame oil and lemon juice. Set aside.

To grill the salmon: Brush the grill grate generously with vegetable oil. Place the salmon, skin side up, directly over the medium-hot fire. Grill until beautiful grill marks are etched across the fillets, about 2 minutes. Turn the salmon skin side down. Brush the salmon flesh generously with the glaze. Cover the grill and continue grilling the salmon until almost opaque throughout, but still very moist, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Drain the rice vermicelli and pat dry with paper towels. Toss the noodles with the dressing, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Divide the noodles among 4 entree plates. (Though the noodles are soaked in hot water to soften, they are warm or at room temperature when served. Morgan says.)

Place a salmon fillet in the center, on top of the noodles, and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 600 calories, 27 grams fat, (4 grams saturated, 41 percent fat calories), 36 grams protein, 53 grams carbohydrate, 95 milligrams cholesterol, 1,128 milligrams sodium.

Wine suggestion for this meal: Chardonnay is the choice of John Gillespie, Wine Market Council president. “With its ripe fruitiness, full body and creamy texture, chardonnay has the weight to stand up to salmon’s richness but still enough acidity to offer contrast to the salty soy sauce,” he says. “Choose a chardonnay that is not oaked so the true fruit character of the grape stands out. An Oregon pinot gris would also be a welcome match.”

A tip from Gillespie for summer dining and wining al fresco about keeping wine cool: “If you prefer white wine outdoors, don’t worry about an ice bucket to keep it cold. A chilled bottle of wine will stay chilled for about an hour – just don’t place it too close to the hot grill. Some people even drop an ice cube in their wine if they prefer it colder.”

He adds that one of the great things about chardonnay is that it is lower in acidity than many white wines, and never needs to be icy cold. So even if you take it out of the refrigerator a half hour before guests arrive, you are good through dinner.

“The only exception would be if you are outdoors and it is very warm – then using an ice bucket in the yard makes sense. Pinot gris needs a little more chill, but people tend to err more often by having their white wines too cold instead of too warm. When you have wine and food together, you don’t want any wine to be very cold, as icy cold wine won’t marry as well with the food.”