Honey-sesame air-fried salmon with sweet potato
Air-fryer salmon, crisp outside and tender inside, with moistening honey and sesame, plus sweet potato and broccoli — balanced and light.
- 40 min
- Serves 2
- Air-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: A balanced constitution simply follows the season. Autumn Equinox calls for balancing yin and yang and easing dryness: sesame and honey moisten the lungs and bowels, while salmon, sweet potato and broccoli make a balanced plate. Stop at 70% full.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min- 1Scrub the sweet potato, dice it skin on, toss with a little oil and salt, and air-fry at 200°C for 12 minutes, shaking halfway.
- 2Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and marinate with the soy sauce, ginger and black pepper for 10 minutes.
- 3Push the sweet potato to one side, add the salmon skin-side down, turn down to 180°C and air-fry for 8 minutes.
- 4Brush with honey, scatter over the sesame and cook 2–3 minutes more, until golden and the flesh flakes easily with a chopstick.
- 5Meanwhile cut the broccoli into small florets, blanch in boiling water with a little salt and oil for 2 minutes, and plate with the salmon and sweet potato.
Cautions
- Sesame allergy? Leave out the sesame. Fish allergy? Use skinless chicken thigh fillets and air-fry 5 minutes longer.
Chef's tips
- Honey burns easily — brush it on only for the last few minutes so the glaze doesn't turn bitter.
The TCM view
Sesame and honey are sweet and neutral; they moisten dryness, the lungs and the bowels. Salmon is sweet and warm and builds strength and warms the stomach; sweet potato is sweet and neutral and supports digestion; broccoli is sweet and neutral. Mostly sweet-neutral and gently warm without drying — just what Autumn Equinox balance needs.
