7/29/2008

This is a Japanese inspired dish by Nigella Lawson and to be honest, it is delicious as I have tried it myself,with a little twist. Sake Salmon on rice is a quick and easy meal that you can prepare as soon as you get home from work. It is a great comfort food as well because rice, when cooked properly, is absolutely delicious. For this recipe, I would use calrose or sushi rice. But if you want, you can use any long grain rice you have in your pantry. The star of the show is your protein and your rice is merely your vessel to carry these wonderful flavors into your mouth :)

Do not over cook your salmon. I know that sounds a little silly because you cannot really overcook salmon with its high fat content unless you threw it into the burner and left it there to carbonize. But what I mean by not overcooking the salmon is to still leave it a little raw inside. As such, the freshness of your salmon is imperative to a good Sake Salmon on rice and to your health. The last thing you want is to be running to the toilet after a meal.

So, off with the recipe:

Marinade for the salmon
Wasabi paste
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil or any cooking oil
1 teaspoon of chopped red chillies (optional)
1 tablespoon sake, or two ;)
2 salmon fillets

Sauce for salmon and rice:
1/4 cup sake
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon wasabi paste

Chopped green onions/spring onions to garnish

Cooked rice (enough for two or three)

This recipe serves two to three individuals depending on how hungry you are.

Method:
In a freezer bag, wasabi paste, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, oil, and sake and add the salmon fillets. Leave to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Heat a smooth griddle or nonstick skillet until hot, and cook the salmon fillets for 1 minute on one side then a minute on the other side – you want the salmon to still be raw inside but wrapped with a nice cooked outer layer . Remove the salmon and let them rest for 10 minutes on a wooden board and cover them with a sheet of tin foil for 10 minutes.

Bring the sake to a boil in a tiny little saucepan, like one you might melt butter in, to let the alcohol taste evaporate. Take the pan off the heat and add the other sauce ingredients.

Unwrap the salmon fillets, removing them to a wooden board for carving as you do so. Cut them with a very sharp knife into 1 inch slices.

Arrange the salmon slices on hot rice on 2 plates (or three). Spoon over the sauce, letting it gloss the fish and drip here and there over the rice. Scatter the chopped green onions/spring onions on top.

Simple grub that should take you as long as you need for your rice to cook. And I do mean every word of that :)