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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Miso paste is one of those mysterious ingredients no one dares to try until they do. If that sounds like you, I’m pretty sure you now have some miso paste in the fridge at all times! The earthy, umami-rich flavors in the fermented soybean paste are fantastic!
We can thank the Cheesecake Factory for popularizing miso. Their miso salmon is a crowd-pleaser, and there’s no doubt this isn’t your average salmon fillet — it’s layers over layers of exotic flavors!
For this recipe, you’ll need a few salmon fillets, not too large, not too small. And in this case, get them without the skin (I love salmon skin, but this is the Cheesecake Factory way).
We’re marinating the salmon with the miso glaze and then broiling it in the oven until just flaky. The flavorful glaze permeates the fish nicely, so I don’t baste it with extra glaze; that’s overkill if you ask me.
To make the glaze, you need brown sugar, soy sauce, red miso paste, rice vinegar and brown sugar. Sweet, salty, umami and acidic. That’s a glaze in perfect Zen balance! Let’s get cooking!
For the miso marinade and glaze, combine the miso paste with the brown sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a small mixing bowl. If too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of warm water.
Coat the salmon fillets with the miso mixture and refrigerate covered with plastic film for at least 30 minutes.
For the snow peas, boil 2-3 cups of saltwater and blanche the peas for 8-10 minutes. Cool down in an ice bath. Pat dry and sauté with one tablespoon of olive oil until slightly roasted (2-3 minutes), stirring often. Set aside.
Line a baking tray with aluminum foil brushed with olive oil and preheat the oven to 375°F.
Roast the salmon in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until flaky but still pink inside.
For the sake butter, in a small saucepan, reduce the sake with the minced shallot until you get about two tablespoons, remove from the heat and add the butter. Melt with the residual heat and set aside in a warm place near the stovetop.
Serve the salmon over a few spoonfuls of sake butter sauce, garnish with the chives and serve with a side of steamy white rice and snow peas.
