Miso-Glazed Salmon with Chad Brauze

The flavors in Chad Brauze’s Spicy Cashew Dressing still shine in my palate memory; it’s a perfect balance of flavors, sweet and tart, plus subtle spicy heat and alluring umami. Brauze, head of culinary at the fast-growing chain Sweetgreen known for their delicious freshly made salads, joined me in my home kitchen to prepare the good-on-almost-everything sauce. He spooned the smooth, cilantro-green emulsion on pan-fried, miso-glazed salmon.

The salmon entrée launched a few months ago with the menu addition of protein plates. It’s become a customer favorite at the three locations in Orange County. In addition to the protein, it includes avocado, cucumber, furekaki-sprinkled basmati rice and pickled red onion.

With over 200 fast-casual eateries nationwide, he has a wide range of professional duties. He runs the Los Angeles test kitchen, commuting by train from his home in Orange County to Union Station. He visits markets and growers, following through with Sweetgreen’s commitment to source from local suppliers. In Orange County that includes cilantro and romaine from Coastal Fresh, bread from Santa Ana-based Bread Artisan Bakery, and goat cheese from Ontario’s Drake Family Farms. He also spends time doing restaurant research, dining out to sample menus, keeping abreast of new innovations and trends.

His prestigious culinary background includes years spent in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants, including New York City’s Daniel, working with Chef Daniel Boulud, as well as Per Se with Chef Thomas Keller. Along the way, he achieved a degree in mathematics and computer science at Columbia University.

Chipotle lured him away from fine dining, dangling the appeal of having more culinary influence by providing a larger audience. Then last August, he accepted the job with Sweetgreen.

I asked him what he likes best about working with Sweetgreen and a warm smile filled his face. He said that opening the door of the walk-in refrigerator at Sweetgreen reminds him of working with Michelin-starred chefs Boulud and Keller; on those chilled shelves there are about 25 vegetables fresh from the farm. He explained that when you have great ingredients, it’s like an artist’s palette for drawing.

Produce heaven.

Secret Talent: With two daughters, 4 and 8, I have a talent for turning bad situations into good ones. A song and dance.

Best Veg: Onions and Leeks. Roasted leeks, split in half lengthwise and topped with olive oil, salt and pepper are fantastic.

Drink of Choice: I’m nitpicky about coffee. I’m a French press person and like a nice splash of local heavy cream. As for wine, lately I like Syrah. My favorite is Sine Qua Non, but it’s expensive.

Few Know About Me: I have a degree from an Ivy League college in mathematics. It was fulfilling to get through it.

Turning Point Book: Michael Ruhlman’s “The Soul of a Chef” – I read it cover to cover twice. It introduced me to fine dining. I left engineering school and went to chef school, the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park.

Sweetgreen Huntington Beach, 18685 Main Street, #107

Sweetgreen Irvine, 714 Spectrum Center Drive

Sweetgreen Tustin, 15090 Kensington Park Drive, #107

Sweetgreen’s Miso Glazed Salmon Plate with Spicy Cashew Dressing

Yield: 1 servings, plus leftover rice, pickled onions, and Spicy Cashew Dressing

Salmon Marinade: 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon white miso, 3/4 teaspoon “blackened” seasoning (such as Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning), 1/4 cup tamari

Salmon: one 4-ounce skinned salmon filet (of course you can increase the amount to four if desired), oil

Rice: 1.65 pounds basmati rice, 3/4 tablespoon salt, 1 quart water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or rice vinegar

Pickled Red Onion: 1/4-pound red onion (peeled, sliced), 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Spicy Cashew Dressing: Pinch dried red chili flakes, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, 6 peeled garlic cloves, 2 half-inch chunks peeled fresh ginger (sliced), 1/4 cup cashew butter, 2 tablespoons sesame oil (not roasted), 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons water, 1 cup rice vinegar, 1 bunch fresh cilantro with tender stems, 1 1/2 cups sunflower oil or avocado oil

To plate: one 4-ounce cooked salmon filet, cooked rice, furekaki to taste, sliced and halved hothouse cucumber, sliced avocado, pickled onion, 1 tablespoon crispy fried onion (storebought is ok for homecooks), generous spoonful of Spicy Cashew Dressing

Cook’s notes: Furekaki is a is a dry Japanese condiment that is used atop cooked rice, vegetables, and fish. Typically is contains sesame seeds, dried fish, seaweed, salt, and sugar, but ingredients vary from one brand to the next. It’s sold online and in Asian markets, as well as supermarkets with large Asian specialty sections.

1. In a blender combine all marinade ingredients. Blend on low speed until well combined. Place salmon in large, zipper-style plastic bag and pour in marinade. Press out air and seal. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Rinse rice in mesh strainer with cold water until water runs clear. Shake strainer to remove excess water. Place in rice cooker with water and salt. Cover and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Note that oil and vinegar will be incorporated in step 6.)

3. Meanwhile, pickle the red onion slices. Place onion slices in heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, add salt, white wine vinegar, coriander, water, and maple syrup. Bring to boil on high heat and pour over onion slices. Cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

4. Prepare Spicy Cashew: In a blender, place, dried red pepper flakes, seasoned salt, garlic, ginger, cashew butter, sesame oil, syrup, juice, water, and rice vinegar. Blend on high speed until pureed. Add cilantro and blend until pureed. With motor running on low speed, add oil in a thin stream.

5. Remove salmon from marinade and drain on plate lined with a paper towel. Heat 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil in skillet on medium-high heat. Add salmon filet (or filets) in single layer and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on one side. Turn and cook another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

6. Place salmon on a dinner plate. Toss rice with oil and vinegar. Place a scoop of rice next to salmon and season with furekaki. Make a small pile of pickled onion, as well as a fan of sliced avocado, and a small pile of cucumbers. Spoon Spicy Cashew Sauce over the salmon and a little over the cucumbers. Sprinkle crispy fried onions on avocado slices. Serve.

Source: Chad Brauze, head of culinary, Sweetgreen eateries

Cathy Thomas is an award-winning food writer and has authored three cookbooks: “50 Best Plants on the Planet,” “Melissa’s Great Book of Produce,” and “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce.” For more than 30 years, she has written about cooking, chefs, and food trends. She was the first newspaper food journalist to pioneer taping how-to culinary videos for the Web. CathyThomasCooks.com