RICE
100g/½ cup sushi rice
2tsp mirin
QUICK PICKLED CARROT
1 carrot
A pinch of flaky sea salt
A pinch of sugar
1tsp rice wine vinegar
1tsp black sesame seeds
SALMON
2tbsp soya sauce
2tbsp mirin
1tsp dark brown sugar
2 salmon fillets (descaled, but with their skin still on)
1tbsp rice vinegar
AND
1 egg
½ cucumber, finely sliced
1 spring onion/scallion, finely sliced
Pickled ginger
Togarashi
Years ago, on the hunt for a simple supper, I came across Nigella Lawson’s mirin glazed salmon. I still make a version of it with alarming regularity, and serve it alongside any other bits and pieces I have in the fridge. It’s one of my most reliable standby suppers.
Serves 2
1. Rinse the rice a couple of times in cold water, and then cover with water and set aside to soak for 30 minutes.
2. Peel the carrot, and then cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Add the salt and sugar to the vinegar, and stir to dissolve. Toss the carrot in the vinegar, and then set aside to pickle while you prepare the rest of the dish.
3. Drain the rice and place in a saucepan, add 120ml/½ cup water, cover with a lid, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 6–8 minutes, until the water dips below the level of the rice. Turn off the heat but keep the pan covered, and steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with some chopsticks, and stir the mirin through.
4. For the salmon, mix the soya sauce, mirin, and sugar together in a bowl, then marinate the fish in it for a couple of minutes on each side. Fry the fish in a dry pan skin-side down over a moderate heat for 3 minutes. Flip the fish over, add the marinating liquid, and cook on the other side for a further 2 minutes. Remove the fish, then add the rice vinegar to the marinade, stir, and keep warm.
5. Lower the egg into a pan of boiling water for 6 minutes and then run under cold water. Peel and slice in half.
6. Flake the fish, and sprinkle the carrot with black sesame seeds.
7. Divide the rice between 2 bowls, add the salmon, along with a splash of the sticky sauce from the pan, and then the carrot, cucumber, egg, spring onion, pickled ginger, and a pinch of togarashi.