Thursday, April 3, 2014

Salmon Teriyaki with Bok Choy, Mushrooms & Noodle






Teriyaki is a cooking technique used in Japanese cuisine in which foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar. The word 'teriyaki' comes from the noun teri, which refers to a shine or lustre given by the sugar content in the tare, which is boiled and reduced to the desired thickness, then used to marinate the meat. Yaki refers to the cooking method of grilling or broiling, where the meat is dipped in or brushed with sauce several times during cooking, which allows the sugars in the sauce to caramelize, for a deep, rich full-bodied flavour. Many kinds of teriyaki sauce are sold in grocery stores, but the basic sauce is so easy to make from scratch, and can be used to baste on salmon, chicken, vegetables and other fish all year round. This recipe for Salmon Teriyaki is delicious served with a fragrant side dish of stir-fried Sesame-Mushroom Bok Choy and a bowl of Cold Soba Noodles, to soak up the lovely sauce.





Two organic Norwegian Salmon filets

The teriyaki sauce: soy, mirin, sake and sugar

The teriyaki sauce cooked and reduced by half

3 heads of Shanghai bok choy

The bok chou is trimmed, halved and set to soak

8 ounces of trimmed and sliced cremini mushrooms

The sauce for the bok choy: oyster sauce, ginger and garlic

A tablespoon of oil and the garlic are quickly sautéed over medium-high for about 30 seconds

the bok choy, mushrooms and ginger are added to the pan and cooked for 5 minutes, 
until the leaves have wilted 

Oyster sauce, sesame oil and a little salt are added to the mushrooms and bok choy 
towards the end of the cooking time

Garnished with sesame seeds and crushed red pepper, 
the sesame-bok choy and mushrooms are ready to be served



Salmon Teriyaki
Serves 2

3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup mirin
6 tbsp sake
1/4 cup sugar
2 skin-on salmon filets
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 scallion, cut into 2" lengths and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Sesame-Mushroom Bok Choy:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 lb Shanghai bok choy, trimmed and thinly sliced
8 oz cremini or shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 pinch crushed red pepper, optional


Bring the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring well until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Place the salmon and soy mixture in a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Remove salmon from the marinade and set aside on a plate to come to room-temperature. Meanwhile, drain the marinade into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook stirring occasionally until reduced by half and starts to turn syrupy, about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and sear the salmon fillets skin down to crisp up the skin, about 3-4 minutes. Then baste the salmon with a half of the boiled teriyaki marinade and cook in the oven, basting with the boiled marinade regularly, until just cooked through, about 6-8 minutes depending on the size of the filets.

Meanwhile, start the sesame-shiitake bok choy by heating one tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add the bok choy, mushrooms and ginger, and cook, stirring until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oyster sauce, sesame oil and salt, and serve when the salmon is ready, with a garnish of sesame seeds and crushed red pepper.

Transfer the salmon to warmed serving plates, and drizzle with the remaining marinade. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve with the Sesame-Mushroom Bok Choy.








Cold Soba Noodle Salad
Serves 2

2 bundles of Japanese soba noodles, about 4-ounces
3/4 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 lime, zest and juice
1/4 orange, juiced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp sriracha chili paste or similar, to taste
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds


Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook soba noodles for 5-7 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Add all of the ingredients together in a medium size bowl and stir to combine. Add the cold noodles, cover and refrigerate one hour. The flavours will meld and the noodles will absorb the flavourful liquid. Serve with an extra scattering of chopped scallions and sesame seeds.













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