Crispy Yuan Salmon

The Japanese certainly appreciate the subtleties of cooking fish - or not cooking fish, as the case may be. Myles and I have been fortunate enough to visit Japan on three separate occasions. In 2018, we had the opportunity to visit the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, the largest wholesale fish market in the world and an absolute paradise for foodies! Although we didn't rise before sunrise to witness the famous tuna auction, we spent a day wandering around the bustling outer market, sampling numerous delicacies "on a stick", sashimi, and seafood dishes from a wide variety of vendors. We only managed to cover about three quarters of the vendors before our legs gave out. We'll definitely return on our next visit to Tokyo.

Yuan marinade is a simple mixture made from readily available ingredients. It enhances the flavour of the salmon, but can also add a subtle flavour to white fish or chicken. You might not have mirin in your pantry (though I strongly recommend that you do). It lends a subtle sweetness and umami flavour to a variety of Japanese dishes including teriyaki and ramen. Mirin is a sweet rice wine with a lower alcohol content than sake (usually around 14%). I can find mirin in the Asian food aisle at my local supermarket.

The crispy skin of the salmon is not a feature of the dish that I encountered in Japan. My Western palate loves the crisp snap of the skin, so I cook it skin-side down first to ensure utmost crispness. Traditional Japanese recipes suggest cooking it skin-side up first, merely searing the skin. The choice is yours. 

For serving, I recommend some crisp stir-fried greens and a steaming bowl of jasmine rice.

To see the technique for ensuring your fish is cooked to perfection, you can watch my YouTube video by following the link below.

Serves 2

• 2 salmon fillets, skin on

• 5 tbl mirin

• 3 tbl soy sauce (gluten free)

• 2 tbl sake

• juice of 1/2 lime

Pat the pieces of salmon dry with kitchen paper towel. Check to ensure all small bones have been removed.
In a shallow dish, mix together all remaining ingredients. Lay the salmon, skin side up, in a single layer in the dish. Try to avoid letting any of the marinade touch the skin. Gently wipe it away with paper towel if it does.

Heat a heavy frypan. Place the salmon skin side down. You should hear a sizzle that suggests the pan is hot enough. Cook until the fillet shows a colour change up to two-thirds of the thickness. This is usually 4-8 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish fillet.
Flip the fillet using an egg-slide to keep the fillet together in a nice piece, and cook for another 1-3 minutes. It should still be pink in the middle when you cut it. Serve the salmon skin side up to maintain the crispiness of the skin.

Serve with stir fried crisp greens, steamed jasmine rice and half a lime.

Updated July 2023