Oven-Steamed Salmon with Cucumber Salad

From: How To Read A French Fry

Salad:
5 cucumbers
Salt
2 Tbsp snipped fresh chives
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 Tbsp rice vinegar, or more to taste
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil, or more to taste
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Salmon
1 (3lb salmon fillet)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make the salad: Peel the cucumbers, cut them lengthwise in half and scoop out the seedy centers with the tip of a teaspoon. Cut each half lengthwise into 3 strips, then into 2-inch sections. Salt them and place in a colander to drain for 20 minutes.

When the cucumbers have drained, rinse them under cold running water and drain. Transfer the cucumbers to a bowl, add the chives, sesame seeds, rice vinegar and sesame oil and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning-the flavor of the sesame oil should be almost undetectable, the cucumbers should be slightly tart from the vinegar, and the herbs should be in balance. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the cilantro and mix well.

Make the salmon:
Preheat oven to 300.

Remove the skin and pinbones from the salmon. Trim the sides to make a roughly rectangular shape that is fairly consistent in thickness. Place the salmon on a baking sheet and salt and pepper liberally.

Place a roasting pan in the bottom of the oven and fill it with boiling water. Place the baking sheet with the salmon on the middle rack of the oven and cook until you see white fat begin to emerge on top of the fillet, about 20 minutes.

Carefully slide the salmon onto a serving platter, surround it with the salad and serve immediately.