Cá Hồi Nướng Tương Miso (Broiled Miso Glazed Salmon)

It's been cold and raining in Sacramento. Our Folsom Lake is filling up to a point where officials may need to have it drained to prevent flooding. This is great news for the drought stricken Golden State as I mull over this bit of news with a cup of warm Japanese roasted rice green tea. Searching outside my bay window for inspiration, I can see the daffodils poking their little buds up through the soil in my backyard declaring the imminence of spring.

The thought of a simple beautiful cozy dish comes to mind: broiled miso glazed salmon over a bed of sauteed cabbage. This was the dish that chef Endo at Raku Japanese Charcoal Grill in Las Vegas prepared for us while we were there. It was simply delicious! Better yet, it was on the house. After my first bite, I was determined to make this at home.  This broiled miso glazed salmon is warm, comforting, and savory with a perfect mesh of salmon and naturally sweet cabbage in every bite.    Shiro miso (white miso-a naturally fermented soybean paste) is the star ingredient in this dish.  Its delicately sweet-salty-savory-nutty flavor goes so well with salmon and cabbage.

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RECIPE: Broiled Miso Glazed Salmon

printable recipe

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Ingredients

2 pieces Salmon, at least an inch thick piece

1/2 head Cabbage 

2 tablespoons Shiro Miso (white miso paste)

1 tablespoon Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice

3-4 stalks Green Onion, white and light green parts only, minced

3-4 stalks Green Onion, dark green parts only, cut into 1-inch segments

1 Leek, optional, white and light green part only

2 teaspoons fresh minced Ginger

1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1/4 teaspoon fresh Ground Pepper
Olive Oil
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Directions

Preparing Miso Sauce

In a small bowl, whisk miso, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, lemon juice, black pepper, ginger, half of  minced white and light green parts of green onion (save the other half for later use), until combined.  Set aside.

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Preparing Salmon

Rinse the salmon under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels.  Using a knife to score the salmon about 1/2-inch deep, cuts spaced about 1-inch  apart.

Brush the salmon with miso sauce.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 15-20 minutes (I sometimes skip this marinate step when time is limited).

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Preparing Cabbage 

Rinse the cabbage and remove the loose outermost leaves so only clean, compact leaves remain. Slice half of the cabbage in half. Remove the stem and tough core from each wedge by cutting diagonally across to remove the solid parts.  For each wedge, start by turning the cabbage so the flat part of the wedge is against the board. Thinly slice the cabbage into strips.

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Preparing Leek

If you use leek, slice leek thinly.  Set aside 

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Broiling Salmon

Transfer salmon onto a baking tray. Broil on high at 500 degree F for 5 minutes until a golden brown crust has formed. Occasionally brush the marinade over the salmon as it cooks. Salmon is best tasting at medium with beautiful slightly pink center.

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Cooking Cabbage

In the mean time, heat a pan on medium high and add the olive oil (I used roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil).  Toss in the remaining of white and light green parts of green onion, and leek. Stirring constantly, cook until barley becomes pleasingly fragrant.

Add cabbage, and green onion, and stirring continuously for a minute until cabbage lose its stiffness.  Don't cook cabbage too long as it will lose its crisp.    

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Presentation

Transfer cabbage to a serving plate. Using a wide spatula, carefully transfer the salmon pieces to the cabbage plate. Pour the excess sauce (if any) over the salmon and cabbage.   I like to serve this dish in the same pot that I cooked the cabbage, therefore, I transferred the salmon to the cabbage pot and cooked it for another minute to keep the salmon warm.

Isn't spring delicious?!

Eat well! Stay healthy!