Steam-Grilled Salmon with Miso (ちゃんちゃん焼き, Chan-chan-yaki)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Iron griddle or cast-iron skillet
• •Tight-fitting lid, or a large sheet of foil crimped over the pan
• •Wide spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the salmon

   Sprinkle the salmon lightly with the sea salt and let it stand for ten minutes while you cut the vegetables. The salt draws out a little surface moisture and firms the flesh, so the fish browns cleanly instead of steaming the moment it touches the pan. Pat it dry before cooking.

2. 2

   Mix the miso

   Stir together the miso, sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce until smooth and spreadable. It should fall slowly from a spoon. If it is stiff, add another teaspoon of sake, because thick miso stays in lumps while loose miso melts into the cabbage and mushrooms.

3. 3

   Brown the fish

   Heat a large iron griddle, cast-iron skillet, or wide heavy frying pan over medium heat and add the oil. Lay the salmon skin-side down if it has skin, and cook for two to three minutes until the underside takes color. This first browning gives the fish a roasted edge before the covered cooking begins.

4. 4

   Build the bed

   Lift the salmon briefly to a plate. Spread the cabbage, onion, carrot, and shimeji in the pan, keeping the mound higher in the center rather than flattened out. Put the salmon back on top. The vegetables are not only a side here, they are the cooking cushion, releasing enough moisture to protect the fish.

5. 5

   Cover and cook

   Spoon the miso mixture over the salmon and vegetables, then cover the pan tightly. Cook over medium-low heat for ten to twelve minutes, until the salmon flakes at the thickest part and the cabbage has softened but still has a little bite. Keep the heat modest. Too hot, and the miso scorches before the vegetables have time to give up their moisture.

6. 6

   Finish with butter

   Dot the butter over the hot salmon and vegetables, cover for one more minute, then open the pan and gently fold the edges of the miso sauce into the vegetables. Do not beat the fish to pieces. Serve from the pan or lift each portion onto warm plates with the salmon sitting over its cabbage and mushrooms.

Chef Tips

• •Choose salmon that looks moist and clear, with no strong smell and no dull gray patches. Sourcing first, always. If the fish looks tired, make a simmered dish instead and let this one wait for better salmon.
• •An iron griddle is the old tool, and a cast-iron skillet or wide heavy frying pan is the sensible stand-in. What matters is a broad surface and a lid that fits well enough to trap the vegetables' moisture.
• •Use red or blended miso if you can. White miso alone is gentle and sweet, but chan-chan-yaki wants a sturdier miso that can stand beside salmon and cabbage.
• •Butter is not a Western flourish here. Hokkaido is dairy country, and that small finish rounds the miso without smothering the fish. Use enough to gloss the sauce, not enough to make it greasy.
• •Serve it with plain rice and a simple clear soup. The dish is already rich with miso and butter, so the rest of the meal should stay calm.

Advance Preparation

• •The vegetables can be cut up to half a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• •The miso sauce can be mixed one day ahead. Stir it again before using, because miso settles as it rests.
• •Cook chan-chan-yaki just before serving. Reheated salmon turns firm, and this dish is best when the fish has only just flaked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 365g)