Recipe

Soy & Ginger Glazed Salmon with Black Sesame Rice

Name: Soy & Ginger Glazed Salmon with Black Sesame Rice
Yield: 3–4
Ingredients: 4 salmon fillets, skin on (about 150g each); 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (use tamari to keep gluten-free); 2 tbsp mirin; 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup; 25g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp neutral oil, for cooking; 300g short-grain or jasmine rice; 2 tbsp black sesame seeds (white sesame seeds work if unavailable); 3 spring onions, finely sliced on an angle; ½ cucumber, halved, seeds scraped out, sliced thinly; 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar; Pinch of caster sugar; Lime wedges, to serve

Salmon fillets glazed in soy, mirin and ginger and cooked until the skin is crisp and the glaze is caramelised at the edges. The black sesame rice is as good on its own as it is underneath the fish.

Serves 3–4

Ready in 35 min

Keeps 3 days fridge

Level Easy

4 salmon fillets, skin on (about 150g each)
3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce (use tamari to keep gluten-free)
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
25g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp neutral oil, for cooking
300g short-grain or jasmine rice
2 tbsp black sesame seeds (white sesame seeds work if unavailable)
3 spring onions, finely sliced on an angle
½ cucumber, halved, seeds scraped out, sliced thinly
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Pinch of caster sugar
Lime wedges, to serve

Method

Combine the tamari, mirin, honey, grated ginger, grated garlic and sesame oil in a shallow dish. Add the salmon fillets skin-side up and spoon the marinade over the flesh. Leave for 20–30 minutes at room temperature — this is enough time for the flavour to penetrate without the acidity beginning to cure the fish.

Cook the rice according to packet instructions. Once done, fluff with a fork, then fold through the black sesame seeds and half of the sliced spring onions. Season lightly with salt. Cover and keep warm.

Lightly pickle the cucumber while everything else cooks: scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and slice thinly. Toss with the rice wine vinegar, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt. Leave for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice — the cucumber will soften slightly and turn sharp and bright.

Remove the salmon from the marinade and let the excess drip off — reserve the marinade for the pan. Heat the neutral oil in a non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down and press each one gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds to ensure full contact with the pan. Cook completely undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until the skin is deeply golden, crisp and the flesh is opaque about two-thirds of the way up the fillet.

Pour the reserved marinade into the pan around the fish. It will bubble and begin to reduce immediately. Carefully flip the salmon and cook flesh-side down for 1–2 minutes, spooning the thickening glaze over the skin as it caramelises in the pan. The salmon is ready when it yields slightly to gentle pressure at the thickest point — the centre should still be a shade darker than the outside.

Spoon the sesame rice into warm bowls. Lay the salmon over the top, skin-side up to keep the crispness. Add the pickled cucumber alongside. Scatter the remaining spring onions over the fish and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over at the table.

✦ Chef's note

The skin will only stay crisp for a few minutes after leaving the pan, so serve immediately. If reheating leftovers, the salmon is better served cold or at room temperature over the rice — gently reheated salmon is acceptable, but aggressively reheated salmon is not. Black sesame seeds are available in most Asian food shops and increasingly in supermarkets; they have a slightly more bitter, nutty flavour than white sesame seeds and the colour contrast is striking. White sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan, are a fine substitute.