Monday, May 7, 2018

Miso Glazed Salmon


I hadn’t intended to serve a meal constructed on the fly, but a while back I couldn’t get internet access where I was when I needed it.
The general idea of what I wanted was there, but I hadn’t looked into what I was doing beforehand. Admittedly not the smartest move of all time when you're cooking for someone else's get-together. 
However, when this kind of a thing happens, I keep notes. If it turns out well, fabulous. If it needs a bit of work, at least I have a jumping off point and can adjust the areas where I think it’s needed.


I've made it a few times since, and it works, so here you go.


A piece of fattier fish, cooked at a lower temperature will be more tender and akin to a poached piece of fish- as opposed to using a higher heat and leaner (drier) fish.
Obviously, this can easily be halved (note that 1/2 T is 1 and 1/2 teaspoons), but the recipe is written for a group.
The marinade is thick, there's not a huge excess, and the pieces of fish are more or less individually coated rather than bathed in a pool.

Serve with rice and asparagus, or perhaps a bed of zucchini noodles.


A lightish meal, plenty of flavor- and leftovers are great cold as part of a lunch salad.


Miso Glazed Salmon 
serves 10-12

10-12, 6-8 oz pieces of Atlantic salmon (paler, thicker, and fattier than, say, Coho)
1/2 c plus 1T (about 165 g) white miso paste
3 T (45 ml) honey
3 T (45 ml) white wine
1/4 c (60 ml) mirin
2 T (30 ml) tamari (or soy sauce)
2 T (30 ml) dark sesame oil
5 garlic cloves, smashed and given a rough mince
1 T (16 g) freshly grated ginger
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional for serving: toasted white or black sesame seeds, sliced green onion


Mix together miso, honey, white wine, mirin, tamari, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Coat the salmon with the marinade and place skin side up in a baking tray (or two). Cover and place the tray in the refrigerator 1 1/2 to 2 hours, moving the salmon a few times to re-distribute the marinade. 

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).
Scrape excess marinade from skin side with a spoon or your finger (if you do this it'll help prevent sticking or burning), and place the salmon skin-side down on an oiled, foil-lined sheet pan.

Roast the salmon 12-15 minutes, then broil 2-5 minutes (watch!)- you're looking for some color and maybe some charred bits.

Let rest a couple minutes on the pan and serve as desired. 



Note: Of the miso pastes I've tried for this recipe, I prefer Miso Master brand 
And, depending on the saltiness of the miso you use, the salmon may do better with a sprinkle of salt... but you won't know until after you've tried it the first time.