Sake Teriyaki Salmon
This teriyaki salmon is glossy, savory-sweet, and ready fast enough for a weeknight. Crisp skin, tender flaky fish, and a lacquered sauce make it feel restaurant-worthy with very little effort.
Ingredients
Salmon and seasoning
- 2 fillets (about 150 g each)salmon fillets, skin-on
- 2 gfine salt
- 1 gblack pepper
- 5 mlneutral oil
Teriyaki glaze
- 30 mlsoy sauce
- 30 mlmirin
- 30 mlsake
- 8 gsugar
To finish
- 5 gtoasted sesame seeds
- 10 gspring onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- 1
Pat the salmon dry very well so it sears instead of steams. Season both sides with salt and black pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- 2
Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the neutral oil, then place the salmon in skin-side down. Press gently for the first 20 seconds so the skin stays flat. Cook for 4 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the salmon is about two-thirds cooked up the sides.
- 3
Turn the salmon and cook the second side for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and carefully pour in the teriyaki mixture. Let it bubble briskly for 1 to 2 minutes, spooning the glaze over the fish, until the sauce becomes shiny and lightly syrupy. The salmon is done when it flakes easily but is still moist in the center.
- 4
Transfer the salmon to plates and spoon over the remaining glaze immediately, before it thickens further in the pan. Finish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onion, then serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For a low-carb version, keep the sugar modest as written; the glaze will still balance the saltiness of the soy and the sharpness of the sake.
- •If your fillets are thicker than 2.5 cm, add 1 to 2 extra minutes over gentle heat after the glaze is added.
- •Serve with steamed greens, cucumber salad, or sautéed bok choy to keep the meal low in carbohydrates.
- •Do not overcrowd the pan; the sauce reduces fastest and most evenly when the fillets fit in a single layer with space around them.
Background
Teriyaki is a classic Japanese cooking method in which foods are grilled or pan-cooked with a glossy seasoning of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. While many fish can be prepared this way in Japan, salmon teriyaki became especially popular in home cooking because it is rich, quick to cook, and pairs beautifully with the sweet-salty glaze.
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