Teriyaki Salmon with Soba noodles, Wakame seaweeds, Peashoots and Sesame salad

Teriyaki Salmon with Soba, Wakame, Peashoots
and sesame salad

Sake (Japanese rice wine)

Soba noodles (Buchwheat noodles)

Toasted black and white sesame seeds

Tossing the noodle salad in the teriyaki dressing 

As those of you who follow my blog will know, I have bought a whole salmon for my Christmas eve dinner but had to keep half of it in the freezer. So I thought it will be a good idea to use it for this dish. Teriyaki is popular throughout the world and everyone have their own take on it. The traditional teriyaki sauce is made out of equal parts of soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. I've used honey here as it produces a thick, sticky sauce that will coat the fish beautifully. The ginger is optional but I think it does work with salmon. Just make sure that you grate it and use the juice but discard the residue, otherwise it will cloud the sauce and you won't get a dark, clear, glossy sauce which is what give the teriyaki it's signature characteristic......oishii desu (delicious in Japanese)!

Recipe:

(Serves 2)

For the Teriyaki salmon

2 salmon fillet

4tb mild honey

4tbsp dark soy sauce

4tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

4tbsp cooking sake (Japanese rice wine)

2.5cm  piece of ginger, grated and squeeze out the juice, about 1 tsp (optional)

150ml water

For the soba noodle salad

200g dries soba buckwheat noodles

25g dried wakame seaweed, reconstituted in water

1 packet enoki or shimeji mushroom (if not, 4 shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced)

50g beansprouts

1 handful of peashoots or baby spinach 

1tbsp sesame oil

2tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

1tbsp Japanese Kikkoman soy sauce

2tbsp teriyaki sauce, from the fish marinade, see recipe

1tbsp each of white and black sesame seeds, lightly toasted

In a large dish, mix all the ingredients for the salmon together and whisk well to combined. Place the salmon in the sauce and marinate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cook the soba noodle in boiling water for 5-6 minutes, or according to the packet, drain and immediately cool down in a bowl of iced cold water to stop any further cooking. Mix in the sesame oil to coat and set aside.

Lightly blanched the beansprouts and mushrooms in boiling water, for about 30 second and cool down in some ice cold water. 

After an hour, lift the salmon out of the marinate and pat dry with some kitchen paper. Pour the marinate into a small saucepan and boil over a medium heat for about 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is reduce and has a thick, glossy consistency, taking care not to burn it. Removed from heat and let it cool down.

When you're ready to cook the salmon, heat up some oil in a large frying pan. When smoking, fry the fillet skin-side down first. When the skin is brown and crispy, turn over and cook for another 2 minute. Finally, flip it back onto the skin-side down and brush liberally with some of the teriyaki sauce. Cook for another 2 minute, spoon over the sauce regularly until the fish is cooked.

To serve, combined all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl, save some sesame seeds for garnish, and toss to mix well.  Plate the noodle salad on a plate and sprinkle with the sesame seed and top with the salmon drizzling over any remaining sauce.