Salmon Teriyaki

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets, about 150 g each, skin on, thawed if frozen
• 300 g short-grain or sushi rice
• 450 ml water, for cooking the rice
• 300 g broccoli, cut into small florets
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp water, for the sauce
• 1½ tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice in a bowl under cold water, swirling and draining until the water runs almost clear. Drain well.
2. Put the rice and 450 ml water in the saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
3. Turn off the heat and leave the rice covered and undisturbed so it finishes steaming and turns fluffy and sticky.
4. While the rice cooks, whisk the soy sauce, mirin, 2 tbsp water, sugar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Stir the cornflour slurry in a separate cup.
5. Pat the salmon very dry with paper towels and season the flesh side with the pepper. Dry fish browns better and does not stick.
6. Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Lay the fillets in skin side down and press gently for 10 seconds. Cook until the skin is golden and crisp and the flesh is opaque about halfway up the side.
7. Turn the fillets and cook the second side until lightly golden. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli over simmering water for 4 minutes, until bright green and just tender.
8. Tip out any extra oil from the pan and lower the heat to medium. Pour in the sauce, stir the slurry again and add it, then let the sauce bubble until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
9. Spoon the glaze over the salmon for 1 minute, turning the fillets once. The thickest part should reach 63°C and flake easily with a fork.
10. Fluff the rice with a fork and divide among four plates. Top with broccoli and a salmon fillet, spoon over the remaining glaze, and scatter with sesame seeds and spring onions.

Tips

• Keep the heat at medium once the sauce goes in. Sugar in the glaze burns quickly on high heat and turns bitter.
• Cook the salmon skin side down for most of the time. This crisps the skin and protects the flesh from overcooking.
• If the glaze gets too thick, loosen it with a spoonful of water. If it is too thin, simmer it for another 30 seconds.
• Pull the fish from the heat when it just flakes. It keeps cooking in the hot glaze on the plate.