Mouth-watering miso salmon

You know those ingredients that just elevate even the most basic recipe? Saffron, sesame oil, lemongrass, white wine, truffle oil, rose water…all those noble elements that turn ordinary into something extraordinary? Well, in my books, miso is definitely one of them. The first time I ever tasted this Japanese fermented soybean paste was years ago, when I was lucky enough to dine at Nobu’s in London and had their famous miso black cod. It was one of those unforgettable “die and went to heaven” experiences.  Since, I’ve seen cheaper versions of miso-style fish on the menus of many less sophisticated restaurants…which made me think it must be pretty easy to make. And it is.

This is a recipe I’ve adapted for salmon – it’s quick, easy and utterly delicious.

Note 1: I get my miso in Dubai at The Organic Food and Cafe but I have also seen it at Carrefour
Note 2: Miso is made of soybeans and may include grains – some are gluten free, others, like barley and rye, are not. If you are looking for a GF option, it is possible, just look at the label.
Note 3: Mirin is a Japanese rice wine, I have never found it here. However, Secrets Fine Foods have a non-alcoholic version. You can also use rice wine vinegar instead.

Serves 3

Ingredients 

• 600 grams of salmon fillet
• 1/4 cup of mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) – or rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup of good quality miso (I use the yellow kind, but you can use the red one as well, just reduce the quantity by a tbsp)
• 2 tsp of freshly grated ginger root
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp of coconut nectar (you could use brown sugar if you eat sugar)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 chopped chive

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place your salmon fillet, skin side down
2. With a sharp knife, make a few cuts (about 1 cm deep) across the salmon without cutting through the fish. These are so your marinade can infiltrate into the fish
3. Mix the mirin, miso, ginger, sesame oil, coconut nectar and soy sauce. Pour it over your salmon and let it marinate for 30-45 minutes in the fridge.
4. Preheat oven to 300 F. Place your marinated fish in the oven, and leave it for 5 minutes.
5. At this point, only turn on the your oven grill (turn off the bottom) and let the salmon cook for another 7-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillet.
6. Sprinkle sesame seeds and chives. Serve immediately.