Name: Autumn Salmon Rice (鮭の炊き込みご飯, Sake no Takikomi Gohan)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 rice-cooker cups Japanese short-grain rice, about 300g; 1 salmon fillet, about 250g, pin bones removed; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, for the salmon; 1 piece konbu, about 5g; 2 1/4 cups cold water; 15g katsuobushi (bonito flakes); 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon sake; 1 tablespoon mirin; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 80g shimeji mushrooms, trimmed and separated, optional; 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; A few mitsuba leaves, optional

Question 1

Why do you salt the salmon before making salmon takikomi gohan?

Accepted Answer

Salt the salmon fillet for 15 minutes before cooking salmon takikomi gohan to draw out surface moisture that carries rough fishiness. Wipe the salmon dry with paper towel before placing it on the rice so the finished Japanese salmon rice tastes clean, gentle, and savory.

Question 2

How much liquid should I use for rice cooker salmon rice?

Accepted Answer

Use 1 3/4 cups dashi plus soy sauce, sake, mirin, and grated fresh ginger for 2 rice-cooker cups of Japanese short-grain rice. The combined liquid should reach the normal 2-cup rice line in the rice cooker pot because the seasonings count as cooking liquid.

Question 3

Can I make salmon takikomi gohan without a rice cooker?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Make salmon takikomi gohan in a donabe rice pot if you know your stove flame and can control steady rice cooking. The same layering method applies: rice and seasoned dashi go underneath, shimeji mushrooms and the whole salmon fillet sit on top, and the rice rests covered before folding.

Question 4

Why should the salmon stay whole on top of the rice?

Accepted Answer

Keep the salmon fillet whole on top of the rice so it seasons the grains as it cooks and stays easy to lift out afterward. Removing the whole cooked salmon lets you discard the skin, check for hidden bones, and fold large flakes back through the glossy rice.

Question 5

How do I keep Japanese salmon rice from turning mushy?

Accepted Answer

Wash Japanese short-grain rice until the water is only lightly cloudy, drain it for 10 minutes, and measure the seasoned dashi to the rice cooker's 2-cup line. After cooking, rest the pot closed for 10 minutes, then fold with a shamoji using cutting and turning motions.

Question 6

How long does leftover salmon takikomi gohan keep?

Accepted Answer

Leftover salmon takikomi gohan keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator. Store the cooked salmon rice covered, then reheat it gently with a splash of water so the grains soften without drying out. You can also shape leftovers into onigiri and toast the outside.

Ingredient	Quantity
Japanese short-grain rice	2 rice-cooker cups (about 300g)
salmon filletpin bones removed	1 fillet (about 250g)
sea saltfor the salmon	1/2 teaspoon

Culinary Explorer

Autumn Salmon Rice (鮭の炊き込みご飯, Sake no Takikomi Gohan)

Ingredients

Japanese short-grain rice

salmon fillet

sea salt

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