Salmon Teriyaki

click HERE for a printable version


Today I was up to preparing something japanese. One thing that I really like about the japanese cooking is the so often found combination of salty and sweet, like - for instance - in the teriyaki recipes or tamago yaki, the sweet rolled up omelett http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagoyaki. I will definitely prepare this someday for the Blog as well.

My interpretation of the teriyaki salmon differs from the traditional preparation in that way, that I don´t brush the teriyaki sauce on the fish while frying. I prefer to have the salmon really crispy and drizzle the teriyaki sauce over the salmon just before serving it. That way, you have a fantastic crunchy salmon skin with the sweetness of the sauce, yummi..

I accompanied the salmon with japanese cooked rice served with salmon flakes and salmon caviar and mixed vegetables.

To prepare the Teriyaki sauce you will need:

100 ml            japanese light soy sauce
50   ml            sake
50   ml            mirin (a sweet japanese cooking wine)
50   ml            dashi broth (Japanese fish broth that can be bought granulated)
200 g              sugar

Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan and once it´s boiling continue cooking it for 4 minutes. Then set aside and let cool.

For the Salmon you need:

150 - 200 g     salmon fillet with skin on per person
                       sake
                       salt
                       corn or potato starch
                       peanut oil for frying (the one you can buy in the asian stores has a really good taste)
                       spring onion
                       roasted white and black sesame seeds

Wash and pat dry the salmon and then make sure, there are no fishbones left in the fillets. Drizzle the salmon with some Sake and salt the fillets.

Cut the whole spring onion (also the dark green parts) into thin slices.

Pour some corn or potato starch onto a plate and roll the fillets from all sides in the starch. Shake off the excess starch.
In a frying pan heat a good amount of peanut oil to medium high heat and fry the salmon - meat side down first - for 2 minutes. Turn to the skin side and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Be sure, not to overcook, otherwise the salmon will turn dry.

Take out of the pan and set on some paper towel so the excess oil can be absorbed.

Arrange on preheated plates and sprinkle with spring onion and sesame seeds. Drizzle (or bathe :) however you like it) with teriyaki sauce and serve immediately.

©just-cook!

For the rice: (http://www.amazon.com/japonesa-occidentales-Japanese-Cuisine-Westerns/dp/8475563635)

350 g               good quality japanese rice (I used Koshihikaeri)
500 ml             water

Pour the rice into a big sieve and wash under running cold water, stirring the rice carefully so the grains won´t get damaged until the draining water is completely clear. Let the excess water drain.

Fill into a cooking pot and add the water. Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Then set the pot onto medium heat and when the water is boiling turn to high heat for two minutes and then back to low heat for 15 minutes.
After that time turn to high heat again for half a minute and turn off the heat. Put the cover of the pot ontop of the aluminum foil and let the rice rest for at least 20 minutes

I know, this sounds incredibly complicated, but it turns out really well.

For the salmon flakes:  (recipe borrowed from the book http://www.amazon.com/Harumis-Japanese-Home-Cooking-Contemporary/dp/1557885206 ) (They can be prepared 2 to 3 days in advance and kept in the fridge)

200 g          salmon fillet, seasoned like above and grilled shortly in a grill pan
1 tbsp         sake
1 tsp           light soy sauce
6 tbsp         furikake
                  (a mixture of toasted sesame seeds, dried fish flakes, salt and
                  algae flakes to sprinkle over rice, can be bougth in asia stores in different
                  varieties)

Take the skin off the grilled salmon (you can dust it with some corn starch and fry it crispy to have as decoration later) and separate the salmon into small parts. Transfer the salmon to a frying pan, add the sake and let cook over medium heat until the salmon is completely cooked. Crumble the salmon into even smaller pieces and add the soy sauce.

Turn off the heat and add the furikake. Mix well.

Divide some rice into small individual bowls, top with some salmon flakes, salmon caviar (I didn´t have any yesterday so I substituted), slices of spring onion. Have some soy sauce for serving.

Mixed Vegetables:

1 or 2         carrots, cut into 2 mm thin  app.  4 cm long slices
150 g         sugar snaps
  80 g         fresh shitake mushrooms
  20 g         butter

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add the carrots and fry until slightly softened. Then add the sugar snaps and shortly after the shitake mushrooms. The vegetables should still have some "bite", so don´t leave them on the heat for too long. Season with some salt and serve in individual bowls.

Enjoy!

Some other japanese cookbooks I have and can recommend are:

http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Cooking-Traditions-Techniques-Ingredients/dp/0681323272

http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Kitchen-Kimiko-Barber/dp/1904920667

http://www.amazon.com/Cocina-Japonesa-Japanese-Kitchen-Spanish/dp/958939325X

http://www.amazon.com/Sushi-pure-Genu%C3%9F-Marlisa-Szwillus/dp/3774224013

and if you are looking for some REALLY sophisticated sushi, try this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Sushi-Spanish-Iwao-Komiyama/dp/9505079974