00:00This dish has been saving tired Japanese workers for centuries. Hot dashi tea pulls over fluffy
00:05rice, releasing that soothing steam that makes everything hungry. That's my 20-minute Samo
00:11no Chazuke coming to life. For a printable version of this recipe, visit my website,
00:16just google Samo no Chazuke space that you'd find me.
00:20First things first, pat your salmon fillets dry with paper towels. I use about 200 grams, so
00:252 or 3 fillets depending on the size. In Japan, we sometimes use salt-cured or leftover salt-grilled
00:32salmon. If you do use these, you can skip the salting steps. Now, generously season both sides
00:39with a light layer of salt. The salt pulls out surface moisture, which is where most of those
00:45facial doors hide. Cover these fillets and let them rest for about 20 minutes. If your kitchen is
00:55particularly warm, 10 minutes is fine, or you can put them in the fridge.
01:00Around 5 minutes before your timer goes off, turn on your grill and set it to medium-high.
01:05When your salmon is done resting, use paper towels to dry it once more.
01:15Then drizzle about 1 teaspoon of sake over the salmon. This sake does two things.
01:21It gets rid of any odors further and makes the fish more tender.
01:27Now put your salmon on the grill with the skin side facing the heat sauce.
01:31Let it cook until the skin is blistered and crispy. Then flip the fillets over and cook them until
01:38they're done. If you don't have a grill or broiler at home, you can cook the salted salmon in a
01:43frying pan
01:44instead. How do you know when it's perfectly cooked? Look for the change in colour. When the translucent deep
01:50pink colour changes to a light, opaque pink and you see little dots of white protein on the surface,
01:57your salmon is about done.
02:02When your salmon is cooked, carefully remove the crispy skin but don't throw it away.
02:06Slice it into thin strips and set it aside. This will add wonderful,
02:10textural contrast to our final dish.
02:17Now for the salmon flesh, wait until it's warm but not too hot. Then gently break it into bite-sized
02:23pieces.
02:26Take your time and look carefully for any small bones. If you find any, use chopsticks or tweezers to pick
02:33them out.
02:36Let's move on to creating our dashi tea, which is really the soul of this dish. Traditionally,
02:42Ochaizuke is made with either green tea or dashi, but I like to get the best of both worlds.
02:47Heat 300ml of dashi stock to about 80 degrees Celsius, which is 175 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
02:58Then add the green tea bag and let it steep for 1-2 minutes.
03:14Remove the tea bag and mix in 2 teaspoons of soy sauce for more flavour and saltiness.
03:26Now it's time to put together our Ochaizuke balls. Divide your cooked Japanese sugar and rice into
03:32bowls. For those wondering, about 150g of cooked rice per bowl is perfect.
03:39Sprinkle the top with ground sesame seeds for a nutty aroma. Then arrange your salmon flakes and those
03:46precious crispy skin pieces on top of the rice. Add a generous sprinkle of finely chopped green onions.
04:02Oil dashi tea mixture over the rice, letting it reach about halfway up the rice.
04:07Top with some shredded nori. If you like me and enjoy a bit of heat, add some wasabi paste.
04:17This dish is best enjoyed immediately while the rice still has some texture and the tea is hot.
04:23If you wait too long, the rice will keep soaking up liquid and turn moshu. And nobody wants that.
04:29And there you have it, salmon uchaizuke. The ultimate Japanese comfort food that's
04:34perfect for those nights when you need something soothing yet satisfying.
04:38Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
04:44Okay, let's go over the ingredients one more time. And if you're ready to cook, grab the written
04:49instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up on your screen.
04:55Here we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen for you now. And if you want
04:58to watch more
04:59similar videos, don't miss my rice playlist popping up on your screen as well. Thanks so much for watching,
05:03and I hope to see you in the next one. Bye.
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