Salmon mirin-zuke is easy to make and delicious even when it’s cold. Simply marinating salmon with mirin, soy sauce and sugar will transform the salmon to a new level. All you need is time to marinate. The preparation time does not include the time to marinate which is 1-2 nights.
- 1 large salmon cutlet / steak , about 300-350g (0.8lb) (Note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp of amazu (refer to my post, Japanese Dressings to make amazu)
- ¼ cup daikon (white radish), julienned
- ¼ cup carrots , julienned
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Remove the bone from the cutlet to make two fillets. Starting from the top (the dorsal side), cut the flesh along the spinal bone, towards the belly. Using tweezers, remove the small bones embedded in the flesh which are on the both sides of the spinal bone (Note 2).
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Salt the fish fillets on both sides and leave them for 10-15 minutes. This will extract moisture from the fish to reduce the fishy smell as well as to allow the marinade to penetrate better.
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Mix the marinade ingredients well in a zip lock plastic back which is large enough to place the salmon fillets.
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With a kitchen paper, wipe the moisture from the fillets and place the fillets into a zip lock bag with the marinade. Shake the bag to ensure that the marinade coats all sides of the fillets. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Leave it in the fridge at least overnight, and up to 2 nights.
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Remove the fillets from the bag (discard the marinade) and place them under the oven grill (broiler). Remember to place the fillets on the shelf 2nd closest to the heat. Alternatively, place the fillets on the BBQ or in a grill pan over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the surface starts burning (Note 3).
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Turn the fillets over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove the fillets from the grill and place them on the serving plate.
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While the fillets are cooking, mix the garnish ingredients together in a bowl and leave until required.
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Place the garnish next to the fillets on the plate (if using) and serve immediately.
1. By removing the back bone, you make two salmon fillets from one cutlet. You could use salmon fillets and slice it into 1.5cm (⅝") thickness, but you might find each fillet a bit small and you may need to serve two fillets per person. If you use a salmon fillet without thinly slicing it, the marinade flavour may not penetrate into the thickest part of the flesh very much.
2. Tiny bones are embedded in the upper body of the salmon, and on both sides of the spinal bone. Run your finger over the flesh to feel the pointy end of each bone to locate them. The bones are embedded diagonally so remove them in the same diagonal direction. Removing them against the direction will make it harder to remove the bones, and it will also damage the flesh.
3. The marinade contains a lot of sugar so the fillets have a tendency to burn quickly. Therefore, do not place the fillets too close to direct heat as it will burn before the fillets have cooked through.
4. Salmon Mirin-zuke goes well with rice. It is suitable for lunchboxes as it is great even when served cold.