This one sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is. It is actually deceptively simple. First I should note that the salmon looks a touch dry. This one I maybe cooked a couple of minutes longer than I should. There you are. I promised to post all new stuff that I cooked, even if I mess up slightly. The pictures don’t do this justice either. There, excuses excuses… Anyhow. So the salmon. I fancied marinading some salmon, and to me this is one of the best marinades for salmon. It is light, fresh, warm and inviting. It is a mix of Mirin (a rice wine, used for cooking), white miso (soybean paste), grated fresh ginger and rice wine vinegar. All this stuff can be found at a decent grocery store – you don’t even need to go to an Asian market for it (shame, cos we have some great ones here in Seattle). So this marinade gets whisked up until smooth. Before I marinade salmon (or most fish in fact) I like to wrap each fillet in cheesecloth. Why? Well, it helps keep the fish a little cleaner. It also keeps the marinade a bit cleaner too, so you can use it again if you need to. So the salmon gets coated in the marinade, covered, and left in the fridge for a bit. How long you ask.. well, I made this marinade in the morning before work, and cooked it that evening.

What else.. hmm, ah! the cucumber relish. Dead simple this too. Chop up a shallot really finely, pop this in a bowl with some seasoned rice wine vinegar and some grated ginger. Slice some cucumber lengthwise really thinly (a Japanese madoline is really useful here) and toss it in the dressing. So the Japanese madoline.. I use this thing all the time. Talk about a great tool for making really thin slices of things. They are pretty cheap too – I highly recommend people getting one. You can get a few different types. Ones with adjustable blades, and ones with fixed – get adjustable, so you can make different thicknesses of slices. You also have a choice between a steel blade, or a ceramic one. The ceramic one is sharp. Blimey. Ceramic blades are somewhat brittle though, not a huge deal for something like though, but they chip more easily than stainless steel blades. Personally, I like the stainless ones – they are cheaper, and I can sharpen them if I need to.

 The rice cake is dead simple. Cook some sushi rice as per packet instructions, and mix with a teaspoon of seasoned rice wine vinegar. Use a forming ring (or cookie cutter) as a mold, and fill it with the rice. Top this with some toasted sesame seeds. Personally I like to buy regular sesame seeds, and toast them myself. This way you get much more of the toasted taste and aroma, and all the great oils that are released. To toast, heat a small frying pan over a medium heat, and bung in some seeds. Toss them every minute, to make sure they brown evenly. When browned, remove from the heat.

Finally the veg. Just stirfry some sliced bok choy and scallions, over a high heat until the bok choy wilts slightly. To me, slicing up the large pieces of bok choy helps them cook more evenly.

 Here is the recipe:

Miso/Mirin marinaded Salmon, Rice cake, bok choy and scallions, cucumber relish

For the salmon: 

2 salmon fillets – preferably head end

1/3 cup white miso paste

1/3 cup mirin

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

thumb sized piece of ginger, grated

For the rice:

1/2 cup sushi rice

1 teaspoon of seasoned rice wine vinegar 

sesame seeds

For the relish:

1 cucumber

1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 inch piece of ginger, grated

1 shallot, finely chopped

The veg:

2 baby bok choy – large leaves sliced lengthwise

3 scallions, sliced lengthwise

Wrap the salmon fillets in cheesecloth. Mix up all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. In a non-reactive bowl, put the fish (in cheesecloth), and cover in the marinade. Toss to coat. Cover the dish with cling film, and bung in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

In a saucepan add the sushi rice (rinse this under cold water, until the water runs clear) and 1 cup of water. Get this boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let stand for 10 minutes. When this is done, pour in the seasoned rice wine vinegar, and gently mix.

Whilst the rice is cooking – Using a Japanese madoline, or some really good knife skills slice the cucumber lengthwise really thinly. Mix up the cucumber relish ingredients in a small bowl, and add the cucumber.

Thinly slice the large bok choy leaves, and the scallions. Put to one side.

Turn on your ovens broiler (or BBQ) to a high heat.

When the rice has about 10 minutes to go (when you let it stand) take the salmon out of marinade, and brush most of it off the fish. Put in a roasting pan, and put under the oven broiler for about 6 minutes. Check the fish to make sure it is done. The center should still be just slightly translucent.

Heat a wok over a high heat, with a little oil. Add the scallions and bok choy, and keep it moving until cooked (the leaves of the bok choy have wilted).

Put a forming ring (or cookie cutter) on a flat surface, and fill with the rice. Top this with the toasted sesame seeds. Carefully move this onto your plate, and lift the ring. The rice should come out easily. Next, put a mound of the vegetables on the plate. Place the salmon on top. Place some of the cucumber relish on the corner of the fish.

Get stuck in!!!

So there it is, a pretty fast mid-week meal. It all comes together as the rice cooks, so is ready in about 3o minutes. I just wish I had taken better photos of this one.

Cheers