Jul 22, 2014

Salmon Donburi Two Ways - Straight Up Sashimi and Torched Aburi Style

Have you ever heard of Japanese oyakodon? The name "oyako" implies parents and children, that's why oyakodon's two main ingredients are chicken and chicken eggs. The recipe we're making here carries the same concept, but instead of chicken, it's salmon oyakodon using sashimi grade salmon and salmon fish roe called ikura.


Ingredients (for two)?

Sushi rice:
  • 2 cups of sushi rice or short grain rice
  • 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

  • 1 lb of sashimi grade salmon
  • 0.2 lb of ikura
  • 0.15 lb of black tobiko fish roe (other color works even better)
  • Some dried seaweed threads
  • Some wasabi (usually it'll come with sashimi salmon)
  • Some light soy sauce

How?

Sushi rice recipe can be found here from my previous blog post. It's a simple method for making sushi rice at home. Just remember not to overly fluff the grains to prevent the rice from turning into mochi-like texture. *Lesson learned from my mistakes.


Store bought dried seaweed threads might be hard to find. In that case, take larger pieces of dried seafood and chop into thin strips with very sharp knife, scissor works just as well.




Slice the salmon to about half inch thickness and torch half of the fish -




You'll know it's ready when the surface turned slightly burned and the smoky aburi aroma comes out -




Leave the other half the way it is -




Mix the tobiko together with ikura. The color combination actually looks better with green or yellow tobiko roe. However, I was curious about pitch black fish roe that was dyed with squid ink. As a result, the color further dimmed my orange ikura to a point of no return..


Scoop some sushi rice to a bowl. Evenly arrange the salmon slices around, one torched and one un-touched till the fish finally formed a circle (that's a lot of salmon! We are eating like kings and queens at home). Put the tobiko and ikura mixture in the center and top with dried seaweed threads. Put some wasabi on the side and serve with light soy sauce.




The tobiko and ikura mixture is on the salty side so give it a taste first before using the soy sauce. I'm sure this meal will give you a big boost in omega-3 fatty acids, which is very good for your heart!


Other similar recipe:

Festive Japanese food at home - colorful chirashi as easy as 1 2 3!

2 comments: