鮭の照り焼き (Sake No Teri Yaki)

Salmon has always been my favorite fish, and salmon teriyaki is one of my favorite ways to cook it. Teriyaki is the most common preparation of salmon in Japan, its high fat content and firm flesh making it ideal for cooking in the company of strong flavors.[1] In the West, teriyaki generally refers to a thick, sweet sauce used to glaze proteins such as chicken or beef. In Japan, however, teriyaki refers to the original method, “glaze and broil,” which was popularized during the Edo period.[2] The resulting sauce is thinner and less sweet than its Americanized cousin, and is used primarily on fish. While most home kitchens are not equipped with the wood-burning grills required for authentic teriyaki, this quick pan-seared version is as close as we can get on the stovetop.

Ingredients

1 lb salmon fillet
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp brown sugar
½ inch ginger, minced
1 scallion, chopped
2 tsp vegetable oil

We begin by slicing salmon fillet crosswise, into pieces about half an inch thick. The thin slices are important because we are cooking the fish fast and on high heat, to replicate the heat profile of a grill. This recipe works best with wild Pacific salmon, which is firmer than farmed Atlantic salmon, and will hold together better as a thin slice. If you are using farmed salmon, make sure to be gentle when handling the fish in the pan to avoid breaking the slices up.

Once we have our slices of salmon, dust them lightly with corn starch. I’ve found that a basting brush is the best tool for doing this, but your fingers work reasonably well too. We aren’t looking for a thick coat, just enough to help develop a crust in the pan. Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet on high heat. When the skillet is up to temperature, add the slices of salmon to the pan, laying the fish into the pan away from you to avoid splatter. Fry the salmon for 2 minutes per side, flipping once. The salmon should be just cooked through at this point. Remove the salmon pieces from the skillet and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add minced ginger to the skillet. Fry, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, until the ginger becomes fragrant. Then add the sugar to the pan, followed immediately by the sauce mixture. Stir and cook the sauce for about a minute, until it has reduced slightly and develops a glossy sheen.

Return the salmon to the pan to coat in the sauce. Cook for just one minute before removing the skillet from the heat. Stir in the chopped scallion and serve. The sauce is fairly salty, so resist the urge to spoon excess sauce over the fish—the sauce that clings to the fish will be sufficient flavor.

Substitutions

Other firm-fleshed fish can be cooked using this method, including yellowtail, trout, mackerel, and swordfish. If you wish to cook softer fish with the teriyaki flavor profile, you are better off using a broiler, rather than the pan.

If you prefer a thicker consistency to the sauce, use a cornstarch slurry to thicken it before returning the salmon to the pan.

[1] Unlike tuna and mackerel, salmon was not considered a sushi-grade fish for most of Japan’s culinary history, but rather as a low-grade fish that should be served cooked. It wasn’t until 1995, after a ten-year PR offensive waged by the Norwegian government in Japan on behalf of the Norwegian salmon aquaculture industry, that Japanese supermarkets began selling salmon sushi and sashimi. It is a fascinating story too long to tell in full here, but read more about this here: Article 1, Article 2, Article 3

[2] 1603-1868. Also known as the Tokugawa period, after the reigning shogunate.

Recipe

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 7 min Total Time: 12 min

Difficulty: 2/5

Heat Sources: 1 burner

Equipment: nonstick skillet

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb salmon fillet
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp brown sugar
½ inch ginger, minced
1 scallion, chopped
2 tsp vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat. Slice the salmon into half inch thick pieces, and dust them lightly in corn starch.

2. Fry the salmon pieces until just cooked, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove the salmon from the pan.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the minced ginger to the pan, frying until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Meanwhile, mix together the soy sauce, sake, and mirin.

4. Add the sauce to the pan, together with the brown sugar, and stir. Cook the sauce in the pan, stirring constantly, until it becomes glossy and has reduced slightly, about 1 minute.

5. Return the fish to the pan for 1 minute and coat both sides with the sauce. Remove from heat, add the chopped scallion, and serve.