Mirin Salmon

This simple yet flavorful Mirin Salmon recipe is a must-keep for your weeknight dinner! All you need is marinade the salmon fillets in mirin and soy sauce for two days, and bake in the oven until crispy on the edges and perfectly moist on the inside. 

Mirin Salmon

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pieces skin-on salmon fillet (1.8 lb / 816 g total)
• ▢1 tsp kosher or sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
• ▢1 Tbsp sake

For the Marinade

• ▢4 Tbsp mirin
• ▢1 Tbsp soy sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Gather all the ingredients.
  

To Marinate the Salmon (for 2 days)

• Sprinkle salt all over the salmon and set aside for 15 minutes. Salt withdraws moisture from the salmon and removes the unwanted fishy smell.
• Combine mirin and soy sauce in a ziplock bag. I try to reduce the amount of plastic as much as possible, however, there are pros of using a plastic bag here. 1) You can use a lot less marinade because a small amount of liquid can spread all over the salmon inside the bag. 2) When you remove the air from around the salmon, the low pressure causes suction and the marinade reaches the salmon more quickly. 3) This opens up the pores of the salmon so it soaks up the flavor rapidly. If you decide not to use a plastic bag, please double the marinade so it will cover the salmon.
• After 15 minutes, rinse the salt and moisture that come from the salmon with sake. Blot the salmon with paper towels.
• Place the salmon in the bag and remove as much air as possible. Marinade for exactly 2 days (1 day is too short and 3 days are too long to keep salmon in the fridge).

To Bake the Salmon (2 days later)

• Take out the salmon from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes prior to cooking, and let is rest out at the counter until close to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 ºF (230 ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Set the oven rack in the middle, 9 inches (23 cm) away from the top heating element.
• Transfer the salmon fillets from the bag to the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Reserve the marinade for later use. I use an oven probe thermometer so the oven will let me know when the salmon reaches 145ºF (63 ºC). I love it, no need to use a timer or to guess if the salmon is done cooking! 
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the salmon is 145ºF (63 ºC). The cooking time varies depending on the size and temperature of the salmon. You can also test for doneness by inserting a fork or knife in the salmon and twisting it a bit; the fish should be opaque and flake easily.
• Remove the baking sheet out of the oven and change to a broiler setting. Keep the middle rack position.
• Transfer the reserved marinade to a bowl and brush the marinade over the salmon fillets.
• Put the baking sheet back to the preheated broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes, until nicely charred. Personally, I think the charred salmon tastes better, even though it might not look the best. If you go for the taste, I recommend adding more char to the salmon (just like the color of the bottom part of the fillet in the picture).

To Serve

• Serve the salmon fillet with side dishes. Here, I served the salmon with steamed rice with furikake rice seasoning, sautéed greens with ginger, and roasted miso garlic cauliflower.

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for a month.

NUTRITION

Calories: 320 kcal · Carbohydrates: 2 g · Protein: 41 g · Fat: 13 g · Saturated Fat: 2 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g · Cholesterol: 112 mg · Sodium: 454 mg · Potassium: 1000 mg · Sugar: 3 g · Vitamin A: 82 IU · Calcium: 25 mg · Iron: 2 mg

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