*Revised Recipe*

This Sesame Salmon recipe has been on my website since day dot and I am kicking myself for not cooking it more often. For some reason we have this notion that to put a crust on something or stuff something is a difficult process, when in fact it couldn’t be more simple. The result is a restaurant quality meal that requires very little effort and by using store bought ingredients in quite a crafty way you can really elevate flavour and presentation. Honestly, I started to prep this meal at about 4pm and by 4:20pm I was twiddling my thumbs. The bulk of the work was done and all that was required was the searing of the fish, cooking the rice (which cooks itself) and steaming a couple of greens. This Sesame Salmon dish is perfect for busy people with little time on their hands or for those that are not too confident in the kitchen. You would have to try really hard to stuff this one up!

This is a revised version of the original as A. I wasn’t a fan of the presentation and B. I just think it pairs better with steamed sushi rice. The old Sesame Salmon recipe had soba noodles with greens, which you may still use if that is your preference but trust me, the fragrant, sticky sushi rice was the absolute bomb.

Prep time:  20  Minutes

Cooking time:   20  Minutes                

$$  Medium Budget

Serves 4

2 tbs of peanut oil

4 x 150gm salmon fillets, skinned and boned

3 tbs of sesame seeds

4 tbs of Kewpie Japanese whole egg mayonnaise

2 tsp of wasabi*

1 tbs of japanese pickled ginger, finely chopped

1 tbs of pickled ginger juice

1 spring onion, finely sliced

Lime wedges to serve

Sesame oil for drizzling

Steamed Asian greens to serve (I used Choy sum, broccolini & asparagus sliced diagonally and served on the side)

For the Rice:

1 tsp of grated ginger

11/2 cups of sushi rice

2 cups of water

1 tbs of pickled ginger juice

1 tbs of mirin

1 spring onion, finely sliced

2 tbs of Furikake Seasoning*

 

To make the Sesame Salmon place the sesame seeds on a large plate lined with baking paper. Give the plate a little shake to spread the seeds out and place a salmon fillet face down in the centre of the seeds. Press gently on the top and then place the salmon fillet on another plate with the sesame seeds face up. You should have a nice even coating on the top side of the fillet. Repeat with the remaining fillets.

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, wasabi, pickled ginger and pickled ginger juice.  Mix well to combine and set aside.

Place the rice, water and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to break up the rice. Once boiling, reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to steam for 5 minutes with the lid firmly in place. After 5 minutes, remove the lid, add the spring onion, ginger juice, mirin and a good pinch of salt and fluff and mix with a fork. Pop the lid back on until you are ready to serve.

When the rice is resting, heat a heavy based pan and add the peanut oil.  Gently fry the salmon fillets, sesame side down for about 4 minutes before turning over and repeating on the other side.  I like my salmon medium rare but if you like it cooked through, cook for a minute or two longer on each side.  Remove from the pan and set aside to rest.

To serve the Sesame Salmon, spoon a good amount of rice into a ramekin and up end onto serving plates. Spoon the mayonnaise onto the plates and spread it out with the back of the spoon. Place a salmon fillet on the mayonnaise, sprinkle the Furikake seasoning on the rice and garnish the dish with the sliced spring onion and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serve with lime wedges and steamed greens.

*Kewpie mayo, wasabi and pickled ginger can be found in the asian section of most supermarkets.  If you can’t get the japanese mayonnaise a good quality whole egg mayo will be just fine (S&W brand is a good one). I have spotted Furikake Seasoning (or otherwise known as rice seasoning) at some of the big supermarkets although you may need to get it at an Asian Grocer or online, below is a link to Herbie’s spices. It really takes the rice to a whole new level and is totally worth the effort of purchasing.

https://www.herbies.com.au/shop/herbs-and-spices/spices/furikake-japanese-seasoning-40g/

Leftover sesame seeds? You may like to cook this…..

https://emsfoodforfriends.com.au/green-curry-sausage-rolls/