Pan-seared Lacquered Salmon (Oceania)

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup dry sherry

3 tablespoons lightly packed light brown sugar

Canola oil

6 salmon fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each, boned and trimmed

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the soy sauce, sherry, and brown sugar. Heat, stirring continuously, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside in a warm spot.

Pour a generous film of canola oil into 2 large nonstick frying pans and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers but is not yet smoking. Place 3 fillets, presentation side down, in each pan and cook until golden on the undersides, about 2 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook on the second sides for 2 minutes. Remove the pans from the heat and transfer the fillets to a large plate.

Pour off the oil in the pans. Off the heat, add half of the soy sauce glaze to each pan and top with the fillets, presentation side up. Return the pans to medium heat and spoon the glaze over the tops of the fillets for about 30 seconds. Plate the fillets and serve.