Teriyaki Salmon
Salmon fillets pan-seared then glazed in a sticky soy-mirin-sake-sugar reduction. Twenty minutes; high-impact; works as well over rice as it does over noodles.
Overview
Skin-on salmon fillets are seared skin-side down to crisp, flipped briefly, then bathed in a four-ingredient teriyaki glaze that reduces to a glossy lacquer. The pan-sear gives texture; the glaze gives shine and savoury sweetness.
Ingredients
Salmon
- 4 skin-on salmon fillets (about 150 g each)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt
Teriyaki glaze
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
To serve
- 300 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 1 spring onion (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Steamed broccoli (or pak choi)
Method
Stage 1 - Mix the glaze
- Whisk the soy, mirin, sake, sugar and ginger in a small bowl.
Stage 2 - Sear the salmon
- Pat the fillets dry; season the skin lightly with salt.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Place the salmon skin-side down and cook for 4 minutes without moving, pressing gently to keep the skin in contact with the pan.
- Flip and cook 2 minutes more.
Stage 3 - Glaze
- Tip the glaze into the pan around (not over) the fish.
- Reduce the heat to medium and let the glaze bubble; spoon it over the salmon as it thickens.
- After 2-3 minutes the glaze should be thick and glossy and the salmon just cooked through.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Slide each fillet onto rice.
- Drizzle the pan glaze over.
- Top with spring onion and sesame seeds. Greens alongside.
Notes
- Skin-side first, longer: 4 minutes skin-down, only 2 minutes flipped. Crisp skin is the texture contrast against the glaze.
- Add the glaze AROUND the fish: Pouring on top washes off the sear. Around it lets the glaze reduce while still glazing the fish from below as you tilt the pan.
- Don't burn the sugar: Once the glaze is in, watch closely; it goes from glossy to scorched in 30 seconds.
Storage
- Eat immediately. Keeps 1 day refrigerated; serve cold over salad rather than reheating (microwaving toughens the salmon).
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