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Japanese salted salmon, or shiozake, is a classic breakfast recipe that turns salmon fillets into a savory, firm, and flavorful dish for rice-based morning meals. This method usually starts by coating salmon with salt and letting it rest so the seasoning draws out moisture while concentrating the fish’s natural flavor. After curing, the salmon is wiped clean and grilled, broiled, or pan cooked until the surface becomes lightly browned and the inside stays moist and flaky. The salt gives the fish a clean savory taste, while the cooking step adds aroma and a simple crisp edge without needing a heavy sauce. The final shiozake pairs well with steamed rice, miso soup, pickles, nori, tamagoyaki, or grated daikon, making it a balanced Japanese breakfast with rich protein, gentle saltiness, and a traditional homemade feel.
Transcript
00:00Traditional ryokan hotels serve shiozake with rice and miso soup for their breakfast for
00:05a reason.
00:05That crispy savoury bite anchors the whole meal.
00:08Follow the steps, nail the timing, all new mornings.
00:12For a printable version of this recipe visit my website, just google shiozake suzachi to
00:16find me.
00:17Before we start, let's talk about choosing your salmon.
00:20You want skin on fillets about 2.5 to 3cm thick, that's roughly an inch for those working
00:27in Imperial.
00:28Now, let's prep the fish.
00:30Remove any pin bones with tweezers, just run your fingers along the flesh and you'll
00:35fill them.
00:36Then, pat it completely dry with paper towels.
00:39For a lean delicate profile go with chum salmon, that's the most common domestic wild salmon
00:44you'd find in Japan.
00:45If you want something richer and juicier, pick species with higher fat content like koho,
00:51sokai or firmed Atlantic.
00:53Honestly, any variety works well so don't stress too much about it.
00:57Now, sprinkle one teaspoon of sake over both sides of your fillets.
01:01Sake helps tame TMA, the compound responsible for fishness and adds a gentle pleasant aroma.
01:08Don't have sake?
01:09No problem.
01:10Dry sherry or a crisp white wine makes a solid standing.
01:14And if you don't have any of these, you can skip it entirely.
01:18Next up, the salt.
01:20Season all surfaces of your fish with fine sea salt at roughly 1.5 to 2% of the fish's
01:26weight, depending on your preference.
01:28So, for a 200g piece, that's about 3 to 4g of salt, sprinkle it from about 30cm up from
01:37nice even coverage.
01:39If you want mild, go for 1.5, 2% for a more traditional salty one or shorter curing time.
01:47Set your fillets in a container and rest them in the fridge for at least 3 hours, but ideally
01:53overnight.
01:54Preheat your oven's broiler or stove top fish grill of medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
02:00A properly preheated grill prevents the fillets from sticking.
02:04While it heats, retrieve your salmon from the fridge and blot the surface thoroughly with
02:09paper towels, erasing any remaining moisture or brine.
02:13For extra insurance against dryness, you can brush the skin side with a thin, film of neutral
02:20oil, but if your fish is naturally fatty, feel free to skip this step.
02:25Then pinch a small amount of cold sea salt and sprinkle it over the flesh from high above.
02:31Set your fish skin side up directly under the broiler, be mindful of the grill's heat
02:37distribution.
02:38Position the salmon right underneath the heat sauce for even cooking.
02:41Broil for about 5 minutes for a 2.5 to 3cm fillet.
02:47You'll know it's going well when you see fat sizzling at the edges.
02:51For even cooking, turn off the broiler and let the fish rest in the hot oven for 2 minutes
02:57to finish gently with residual heat.
02:59If you peek underneath and the flesh still looks raw, flip it once and give it a final 1 or
03:062 minutes of medium heat until it's fully cooked through.
03:09Serve your salmon alongside steamed rice, a small bowl of miso soup, and a mound of grated
03:16daikon radish.
03:17That sharp, clean daikon really cuts through the richness of the fish beautifully.
03:23Take your first bite plain and let the sweet-salted crust and tender interiors peak for themselves.
03:29Really savour it.
03:31Then about halfway through, take a statue, squeeze the tart bright juice over the fish.
03:37And there you have it.
03:38Japanese salted salmon in all its simple, elegant glory.
03:41This is one of those dishes that proves you don't need a long list of ingredients or complicated
03:47techniques to create something truly special.
03:50Want even more delicious recipes?
03:52Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
03:56Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time.
03:59And if you're ready to cook, grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box
04:03with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen.
04:05Want to learn how to make shiolaki with different cooking methods?
04:09You can find the full info on my website, just tap the link on the screen.
04:13And for more recipes like this, head to my fish playlist coming up next.
04:18Thanks for watching.
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