味噌サーモン

Miso has been paired with fish for centuries in traditional Japanese cuisine. [1] This miso salmon recipe is quick and easy, a fillet marinated with a sweet and savory miso glaze and broiled whole.

Ingredients

20 oz salmon fillet
2 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 scallions, chopped
2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

We begin by making the glaze for our fish. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons white miso with the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and brown sugar, and mix well. We use white miso, the mildest form of miso, in this dish, to prevent the flavor of the miso from overwhelming that of the fish. The brown sugar will caramelize in the oven, helping the top of the fish brown and crisp.

This dish works best with a fatty piece of salmon, so try to get the fillet cut that includes the salmon belly, if possible. The fat prevents the flesh from drying out as quickly when subjected to the high heat of the oven. Place the fillet on the sheet pan or cast iron skillet, skin side down. Check for pinbones in the fillet and remove any that you find.

Brush about half of the glaze onto the fish, coating the top and sides of the fillet with a thin coating. Place the fish into the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes, and reserve the remaining half of the glaze. Why use only half? The glaze is useful for flavoring the fish as a marinade. It will also caramelize and bubble under the broiler, but can burn easily if roasted for too long. Therefore, a thick layer of the glaze is likely to burn before the fish is fully cooked. The solution is to apply the glaze twice—once to infuse the fish with miso flavor, and a second time to get the crunchy, sticky crust.

When you’re ready to cook, turn on the broiler in the oven and let it preheat for 5 minutes, with a rack in the middle. Place the sheet pan with the salmon on the middle rack and broil for 5 minutes. Then remove the salmon from the oven and quickly apply the remaining half of the glaze to the top. Return the salmon to the oven and broil for an additional 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 135° F.

Remove the salmon from the oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Top with toasted sesame seeds and finely chopped scallions while the fish rests.

Substitutions

Steelhead or rainbow trout are good substitutions for salmon in this recipe. You should adjust the cook time to account for the smaller and thinner fillets. You can partially substitute the brown sugar for honey in the glaze. If you’d like to serve the fish with lemon, the citrus pairs with miso well.

[1] The most traditional way of preparing salmon with miso is saikyoyaki (西京焼き), in which fish is cured overnight in miso paste. This method salt-cures the fish, changing its flavor and texture…but that is another recipe for another time.

Recipe

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 45 min
(+30 min inactive)

Difficulty: 1/5

Heat Sources: oven (broiler)

Equipment: sheet pan or cast iron skillet

Servings: 6

Ingredients

20 oz salmon fillet
2 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 scallions, chopped
2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the miso, soy sauce, sake, mirin, and brown sugar. Mix well to form the glaze.

2. Line the sheet pan with parchment paper, and place the salmon fillet skin side down on the pan. Brush the top and sides of the fish with about half of the glaze and let the fish marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining glaze.

3. When ready to cook, turn on the broiler and let the oven preheat for 5 minutes. When the oven is hot, place the salmon on the middle rack and broil for 5 minutes.

4. After 5 minutes, brush the remaining glaze over the top of the salmon. Return to the oven and broil for an additional 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 135° F.

5. Remove from the oven and let rest at least 5 min before serving. Top with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.