Spotlight on Sesame Oil

By Rachelle Bowden in Food on Mar 14, 2006 4:54PM

Chicagoist didn't get much professional know how out of a summer photography internship (unless weaseling out of traffic tickets counts) but we did learn a neat salad dressing tip. At this point in time pretty much everyone knows that a little olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar make a fine dressing. But if you want to wow your lunch crowd with something a little different try this:

One part soy sauce to two parts sesame oil…dash of ginger or garlic, sprinkling of salt and voila! This is especially good with mixed field greens and any combination of toppings you can dream up. The saltiness of the soy sauce is cut a little bit with the nutty sesame oil and makes people ask you bought it…but you didn't and that fact will double (if not triple) your cool points (not that we care about being cool or anything).

Another way to use sesame oil (and soy sauce for that matter) is as an accompaniment to salmon. Salmon you say? Yes, salmon we say. Here's what you need: Sesame oil, soy sauce, and honey.

Again this is more about parts than tablespoons, in the sense that it depends on the size of your fish. The basic ratios are similar to the salad dressing only with the added sweetness of honey. If you're making one fillet just for yourself then this should do the trick and give you a guide for larger meals.

In a small bowl combine about three tablespoons sesame oil with two tablespoons soy sauce and two tablespoons honey. Wrap the salmon loosely in tin foil, then pour the sauce over it…if the fish is not completely covered with the sauce make another batch. You want the fish to be, in a sense (though technically not), poached in the sauce. So simple it's perfect for a weekday meal at home. Any variety of steamed veggies makes a nice side dish.