Go Back

Sake Salmon and Rice

This recipe presents a simple yet elegant sake salmon dish with fragrant cardamom rice. Salmon fillets are marinated in a savory blend, quickly seared, then rested to retain moisture. A quick sake-based sauce is prepared to accompany the thinly sliced salmon, served over the aromatic rice and garnished with fresh cilantro for a complete meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 2 people
Course: lunch/dinner
Cuisine: nordic
Calories: 2599.7
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 1 teaspoon English mustard or wasabi paste*
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon garlic or chili oil
  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • 2 salmon fillets
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1/4 cup sake
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce or brown rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon English mustard or wasabi paste
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Freezer Bag or shallow dish for marinating
  • 1 Medium Saucepan with Lid for rice
  • 1 Nonstick Skillet or Griddle Pan for salmon
  • 1 Small Saucepan for sauce
  • 1 Cutting Board & Chef's Knife for carving and chopping

Method
 

  1. In a freezer bag, combine the mustard or wasabi paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy, oil, and sake and add the salmon fillets. Leave to marinate for about 20 minutes.
  2. Follow packet instructions for the rice, or rice-cooker handbook or just put rice in a pan, bruise cardamom pods and chuck them in too, and put double the volume of water as you have rice. Bring to the boil, then turn down to the lowest you possibly can, clamp on a lid and leave until the rice has absorbed the water and is cooked, about 15 minutes.
  3. Heat a smooth griddle or nonstick skillet, and cook the salmon fillets for 1 1/2 minutes on 1 side then a minute on the other side. Remove the salmon, double wrapping each fillet in foil parcels and let them rest for 10 minutes on a wooden board or a pile of newspapers.
  4. Bring the sake to a boil in a tiny little saucepan, like one you might melt butter in, to let the alcohol taste evaporate. Take the pan off the heat and add the other sauce ingredients.
  5. Unwrap the salmon fillets, removing them to a wooden board for carving as you do so.
  6. Arrange some freshly boiled rice on 2 plates, and slice the salmon fillets into thin slices. Lay the carved salmon on top of the rice and spoon over the sauce, letting it gloss the fish and drip here and there over the rice. Scatter the cilantro on top.

Notes

1. For deeper flavor, consider marinating the salmon for up to 30-60 minutes, but avoid over-marinating due to the acid in Worcestershire sauce which can 'cook' the fish.
2. Resting the salmon in foil parcels is crucial. This allows the residual heat to gently finish cooking the fish, ensuring it remains moist and flaky, preventing dry salmon.
3. When cooking rice, use cold water and avoid lifting the lid during the absorption phase to maintain consistent temperature and steam, leading to perfectly cooked, fluffy grains.
4. Boiling the sake for the sauce is important to evaporate the alcohol, leaving behind its nuanced flavor without the harshness. Taste and adjust the final sauce for balance.