Chef Dean
Grilled Salmon Collar with Ponzu
The fisherman's reward: rich, fatty salmon collar charred over high heat until the skin shatters, served with a bright citrus ponzu that cuts through the richness like a cold Pacific breeze.
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Miso-Glazed Salmon
Created by
Wild king salmon brushed with sweet white miso and broiled until the glaze blisters into a lacquered crust, the flesh beneath silky and rich. This is the Pacific Northwest on a plate, where Japanese tradition meets the bounty of cold northern waters.
Main Dishes
Japanese
Weeknight
Date Night
15 min
Active Time
10 min cook•8 hr 25 min total
Yield4 servings
The confluence of cultures in the Pacific Northwest created something remarkable. Japanese fishermen who settled along Puget Sound brought their techniques for curing and glazing fish. They found themselves working alongside Scandinavian immigrants and learning from the Coast Salish peoples who had been harvesting these waters for ten thousand years. What emerged was a cuisine shaped by respect for the salmon itself.
Miso-glazed salmon represents this cultural exchange at its finest. The sweet white miso, fermented from rice and soybeans, caramelizes under high heat into a crackling lacquer that yields to impossibly tender flesh. The technique requires almost nothing from you except restraint. Don't fuss with the fish. Let the glaze do its work.
I first encountered this preparation at a small izakaya in Seattle's International District, decades before it became ubiquitous on restaurant menus across the country. The cook there marinated his salmon for three days, but I've found overnight produces magnificent results for the home kitchen. The miso penetrates the flesh, seasoning it deeply while the sugars prepare to caramelize.
Seek out wild-caught king salmon when the summer runs begin. The fat content of these fish, built up during their ocean journeys, creates the silky texture that makes this dish extraordinary. Farmed Atlantic salmon works in a pinch, but it lacks the depth of flavor that justifies the preparation.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
wild king salmon fillets, skin removed
Quantity
4 (6 oz each)
white miso paste (shiro miso)
Quantity
1/3 cup
mirin
Quantity
3 tablespoons
sake
Quantity
2 tablespoons
brown sugar
Quantity
2 tablespoons
rice vinegar
Quantity
1 tablespoon
toasted sesame oil
Quantity
1 teaspoon
scallions
Quantity
2
thinly sliced
black sesame seeds
Quantity
1 teaspoon
lime
Quantity
1
cut into wedges
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| wild king salmon fillets, skin removed | 4 (6 oz each) |
| white miso paste (shiro miso) | 1/3 cup |
| mirin | 3 tablespoons |
| sake | 2 tablespoons |
| brown sugar | 2 tablespoons |
| rice vinegar | 1 tablespoon |
| toasted sesame oil | 1 teaspoon |
| scallionsthinly sliced | 2 |
| black sesame seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| limecut into wedges | 1 |
Equipment Needed
- •Rimmed baking sheet
- •Wire cooling rack
- •Small whisk or fork
- •Shallow glass or ceramic dish for marinating
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the miso glaze
Whisk together the white miso, mirin, sake, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a bowl until completely smooth. The mixture should be pourable but thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste it. You want a balance of sweet, salty, and the subtle funk of fermentation. Adjust with more sugar if your miso runs salty.
White miso (shiro) is essential here. Red miso will overpower the salmon and burn too quickly under the broiler. Look for it in the refrigerated section of Asian markets or well-stocked grocery stores. - 2
Marinate the salmon
Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels. Place them in a shallow dish or resealable bag and pour the miso glaze over, turning to coat all surfaces evenly. Press out any air if using a bag. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 48 hours for deeper flavor penetration. The longer marination allows the miso's enzymes to gently break down proteins, resulting in an almost custard-like texture.
If you're pressed for time, even 4 hours will produce good results. But overnight is when the magic happens. Plan ahead. - 3
Prepare for broiling
Remove the salmon from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Position your oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler element and turn the broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Lightly oil the rack. Remove the salmon from the marinade, letting excess drip off, but don't scrape the fillets clean. You want a thin coating of glaze remaining.
The wire rack elevates the salmon, allowing heat to circulate and preventing the bottoms from steaming in their own juices. This matters for texture. - 4
Broil the salmon
Arrange the fillets on the prepared rack with at least an inch between them. Slide under the broiler and watch carefully. The glaze will begin to bubble and darken within 3 to 4 minutes. You want deep caramelization, almost charred in spots, but not burnt. The sugars in the miso will blister and blacken at the edges while the center turns a gorgeous amber. Total cooking time runs 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare at the center, 9 to 10 for medium. The fish should flake easily at the edges while the center remains slightly translucent.
Every broiler runs differently. Keep the oven light on and stay close. The line between perfectly caramelized and burnt crosses quickly with this much sugar involved. - 5
Rest and garnish
Transfer the salmon to serving plates and let rest for 2 minutes. The residual heat will continue cooking the centers while the exterior cools enough to handle. Scatter the sliced scallions over the top and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. The contrast of green and black against the amber glaze is part of what makes this dish so striking. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over just before eating.
- 6
Serve properly
Bring the salmon to the table immediately. This dish wants to be eaten warm, when the glaze still has some give to it and the flesh practically melts on your tongue. Serve alongside steamed rice to catch the juices, or with a simple salad of bitter greens dressed in rice vinegar. A cold Junmai sake or a dry Riesling makes for an honest pairing.
Chef Tips
- •Seek out wild-caught Pacific salmon when in season, typically May through September. King (Chinook) salmon has the highest fat content and produces the most luxurious results. Sockeye and Coho work beautifully as well. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch can guide you toward sustainable choices.
- •If you can find it, try yuzu juice in place of the lime for a more authentic Japanese citrus note. The yuzu's floral complexity marries beautifully with the fermented sweetness of the miso.
- •This glaze works magnificently on black cod (sablefish), another Pacific Northwest treasure with even higher fat content than salmon. Increase marination time to 48-72 hours for black cod.
- •Reserve a tablespoon of the miso glaze before adding it to the raw fish. Thin it with a splash of mirin and use it to brush over grilled vegetables alongside the salmon.
- •The scallions can be supplemented with or replaced by shiso leaves, pickled ginger, or a small mound of grated daikon. All traditional. All excellent.
Advance Preparation
- •The miso glaze can be prepared up to 2 weeks ahead and refrigerated in a sealed container. It actually improves with time as the flavors marry.
- •Salmon can marinate for up to 48 hours, with deeper flavor penetration the longer it sits. Plan to start marinating the morning before or two days ahead for best results.
- •This dish does not reheat well. The glaze loses its lacquered texture and the salmon dries out. Cook only what you'll eat fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 175g)
Calories
340 calories
Total Fat
14 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
9 g
Cholesterol
95 mg
Sodium
520 mg
Total Carbohydrates
12 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
8 g
Protein
38 g
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