Pan-Fried Salmon in Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

“Easy Japanese recipe of Teriyaki Salmon – 照り焼き鮭”

Today’s second day of new year, 2010.

I was still in the new year mood, having a new resolution of gastronomy, I started exploring in different kind of cuisine. Yesterday, I had an urge for cooking Japanese food for the next dinner, which was today’s. So, I went to NTUC Fairprice Finest to get the necessary ingredients as this store is located not far from my place and it has quite comprehensive selections of Japanese food ingredients and condiments, made of both locals and direct import from Japan.. Yeah, I wanted to make a Japanese cuisine for dinner for my loved ones!

Actually, I was initially wondering if I should use the off-the-shelves instant Teriyaki sauce, for convenience sake, or to make my own Teriyaki sauce, for more hearty and better home cooking experience.. I finally decided to make my own sauce! Well, it is not difficult to make the sauce, afterall. So, why bother to get the instant one when you could make more wonderful and more flavoursome taste by your own (winking smile)?!

I tell you what, this’s no joke, my Teriyaki sauce is so flavourful and tasty! I personally think that my Teriyaki Salmon dish is one of my best dishes.

Salmon Teriyaki could be grilled or broiled, but I preferred to pan-fry it to create more cripsed in texture, and better aroma in the palate.

Anyway, it is simple to cook this dish with making of your own Teriyaki sauce. You just have to get some of these Japanese condiments from the store, and this savoury Teriyaki sauced Salmon steak will be easily prepared and served to impress any of your desirable ones (smile). Remember, serve it with real Japanese (sticky textured) steamed rice. It’s usually pearl rice (shorter rice grain). You may get the sushi rice or Unagi rice at most supermarket or grocery stores. I got a packet of 2.5kg Unagi rice (to cook and meant to eat with Unagi – grilled Eel fish dish) for my Teriyaki Salmon meal. It has no difference.. Well, if you aren’t really a fan of salmon,  how about making the Unagi Teriyaki, then?!

Ingredients
4 pieces of Salmon fillet or steak, with a stream of skin intact, decent serving size
Sprinkle of salt
1 tablespoon of flour (for coating)
4 tablespoons of olive oil (for sautéing)

For Teriyaki sauce:
5 tablespoons of Japanese soy sauce
5 tablespoons of Mirin
5 heaping teaspoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of Sake (Japanese rice wine), or just normal rice wine (if not particular)
½ teaspoon of white vinegar

Method
1) Wash and pat dry Salmon fillet/ steak. Sprinkle some salt on both sides. Set aside.

2) Place an empty small pot on stove over low fire. Add Japanese soy sauce, mirin and sugar into the pot. Stir to mix well, until sugar is almost dissolved (It’s OK, if there is still sugar remains and not completely dissolved). Add Sake wine and vinegar, and stir to mix well. Taste check, before heat off. Remove whole pot from stove and set aside for later.

3) Heat large skillet with olive oil over high heat. When heated, reduce fire to medium fire.

4) Lightly coat some flour on both surface of Salmon. Place and pan-fry fish slices on the pan with the skin side down on pan first, until skin is lightly crisped and browned. Then, flip over Salmon gently to pan-fry another side till browned.

5) When the fish is cooked and well-browned, return the sauce to the skillet (perhaps you may leave some behind for dressing later). Let it simmer till the sauce is bubbling, and finally thicken. Transfer Salmon to a serving dish together with the remaining thickened sauce. Top with more Teriyaki sauce which you have left aside just now, if desired. Serve and Japanese steamed rice.

Garnish Japanese steamed rice with some black sesame to make your meal more interesting.

To cook Japanese rice: Wash and drain the rice grain, leave aside for 5 minutes before soaking the rice with water for an hour long. Drain the water after soaking, add in fresh water and put into rice cooker to cook till it’s done. Garnish with black sesame.

[Ingredients Value] Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acid source:
You may find salmon fish very greasy, but do not wash away the fat as it’s the essencial fatty acid! Salmon is a rich source of Omega 3 EFA that helps the growing kid in brain development, maintaining good health of heart and lower bad cholestrol level in our body. Hence, do encourage your kids to take more Salmon. Cook it this way, and your kids will love to eat more Salmon.

A serving of Teriyaki Salmon counts about 280kcal.

Tips: Make sure the Salmon fillet is boneless, especially to feed smaller kid.
* It’s OK, if you do not wish to buy a whole new bottle of Sake wine just for such occasionally cooking. Use normal rice wine or even Shao Hsing rice wine. Afterall, you just need a teaspoon of it. It’s optional.
* Same thing to vinegar, it’s not really necessary to get the Japanese rice vinegar, if you are not a seasoned sushi maker or intend to make sushi in near future. Use normal white vinegar will do.
* Black sesame (with sea salt added) added more flavour to the Japanese steamed rice and made it more fragrant in biting. Get a small packet off the shelves at major supermarkets.