This week’s recipe is for my good friend Arnel, who lives in Dubai and frequently queues at Ikea’s restaurant for their famous Swedish Salmon dish. He had been wondering if there’s any other way to cook salmon and I say, there is! So, here’s the Japanese way – Salmon Teriyaki for him, and for all of you.

Teriyaki: comes from the two words, teri (glaze) + yaki (broil/fry/barbecue)

The ingredients (from left to right): Ryori shu (Japanese rice wine for cooking), Mirin (sweet fermented sauce), Soy sauce (I use Kikkoman Soy Sauce), salmon (any cut you like), spring onions, oil and a bit of sugar and flour (not pictured).

From left to right: Japanese rice wine for cooking, Mirin, Kikkoman soy sauce then salmon slice and spring onions (the stalk part only).

When you’ve decided to cook Japanese dishes, having these three seasonings is a must, as it is staple in most Japanese cuisine.

Procedure:

1. Wash the salmon with 1 Tbsp of rice wine. This will reduce that fishy smell. Pat kitchen towel so the fish won’t be too wet.

2. In 1:1 ratio, prepare the teriyaki sauce.

For one slice of salmon, use 2 Tbsp each of rice wine, mirin and soy sauce. Add 1 tsp of sugar and mix thoroughly. You have an option of not adding sugar but my daughter loves it more if there’s a hint of sweetness in the teriyaki sauce.

3. Cut the onion, retaining only the white stalks.

4. Coat the salmon lightly with flour.

5. Heat the frying pan and add a bit of oil (I use olive oil+sesame oil because it smells good)

6. On medium heat, fry the flour coated salmon.

7. Using a frying laddle, take a peek the bottom side. When the other side is brown, flip the fish over and continue frying.

8. Add the spring onion stalks to the frying pan. If you’re using a bit of sesame oil, your kitchen should smell like a real Japanese kitchen now.

Note: Stir the onions frequently but no need to cook them completely.

9. Remember that teriyaki sauce? Now it’s their time to boogie. Add to the frying pan and let it simmer for about a minute or two. Putting the flame on high at this time will help release the alcohol out of the rice wine and put the mirin and soy sauce’s aroma in perfect mode.

Note: I don’t flip the fish at this point but using a spoon, I glaze the top part with the simmering sauce.

10. Serve immediately.

Dozo, meshi agare (Enjoy your meal)!

*****

UAE/Dubai residents can get various Japanese ingredients from the Japanese store, Dean’s Fujiya located near Lamcy Plaza in Bur Dubai. Telephone: 04-337-0401.