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.
Culinary Explorer
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Salmon Teriyaki
Created by
Wild salmon brushed with glossy house-made teriyaki, charred at the edges and silky within. This is the dish that built Seattle's lunch counter legacy, where Japanese immigrants and Pacific waters created something entirely new.
Main Dishes
Japanese
Weeknight
Quick Meal
Meal Prep
15 min
Active Time
20 min cook•35 min total
Yield4 servings
Seattle lunch counters have served this dish since the 1930s. Japanese immigrants brought teriyaki technique to the Pacific Northwest, where wild salmon was so abundant it sold for pennies a pound. The marriage was inevitable. What emerged became the definitive Seattle teriyaki: thick fillets of king or sockeye, glazed until lacquered and caramelized, served over rice with pickled ginger on the side. This isn't fusion cuisine. This is regional American cooking at its finest.
The sauce requires four ingredients and fifteen minutes. Soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar, reduced until it coats a spoon with that characteristic gloss. I've watched cooks complicate this with garlic, ginger, citrus, pineapple. They're missing the point. Traditional teriyaki is about restraint. The sauce exists to amplify the salmon, not compete with it. Let the fish speak.
Buy your salmon from someone who can tell you where it came from and when it was caught. Wild Pacific salmon runs from late spring through fall, each species offering something different: king for its fat content, sockeye for its deep color, coho for its mild sweetness. Farmed Atlantic works in a pinch, but you'll notice the difference. Wild salmon has earned its reputation through flavor, not marketing.
This recipe honors both traditions that created it. Japanese technique demands precision with the glaze, building layers through multiple applications. Pacific Northwest sensibility insists on respecting the ingredient above all else. Together they produce something worthy of the waters that shaped this region's cuisine.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
salmon fillets, skin-on, preferably wild Pacific
Quantity
4 (6 oz each)
soy sauce
Quantity
1/2 cup
mirin
Quantity
1/2 cup
sake
Quantity
1/4 cup
granulated sugar
Quantity
3 tablespoons
neutral oil
Quantity
2 tablespoons
short-grain Japanese rice
Quantity
2 cups
water
Quantity
2 1/2 cups
rice vinegar
Quantity
1 tablespoon
toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Quantity
for garnish
green onions
Quantity
2
thinly sliced
pickled ginger (optional)
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| salmon fillets, skin-on, preferably wild Pacific | 4 (6 oz each) |
| soy sauce | 1/2 cup |
| mirin | 1/2 cup |
| sake | 1/4 cup |
| granulated sugar | 3 tablespoons |
| neutral oil | 2 tablespoons |
| short-grain Japanese rice | 2 cups |
| water | 2 1/2 cups |
| rice vinegar | 1 tablespoon |
| toasted sesame seeds (optional) | for garnish |
| green onionsthinly sliced | 2 |
| pickled ginger (optional) | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •12-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet
- •Small heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •Pastry brush or silicone basting brush
- •Fish spatula
- •Fine-mesh strainer for rinsing rice
Instructions
- 1
Start the rice
Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear, about 90 seconds of agitation. This removes excess starch and prevents gummy results. Combine rice and water in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.
- 2
Make the teriyaki sauce
Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, watching carefully. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn through it holds its shape for a moment. It will thicken further as it cools. You should have about 2/3 cup of glossy, amber glaze.
The sauce can go from perfect to burnt in under a minute. Stay close and reduce the heat if bubbles become aggressive. - 3
Prepare the salmon
Pat the salmon fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels, pressing firmly to remove all surface moisture. Season both sides with a light hand of salt. The soy sauce in the glaze carries plenty of salinity, so restraint matters here. Let the fillets rest at room temperature while your pan heats. Cold fish hitting a hot pan steams rather than sears.
Run your fingers along the flesh side to check for pin bones. A pair of needle-nose pliers or fish tweezers removes them cleanly. - 4
Sear skin-side down
Heat the oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and flows like water across the pan. Lay the fillets skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds to ensure full contact. You'll hear an aggressive sizzle that settles into a steady crackle. Cook without moving for 4 minutes. The skin should release easily when ready, golden and crisp.
- 5
Glaze and finish
Flip the fillets and immediately brush the seared top generously with teriyaki sauce. Cook flesh-side down for 2 minutes, then flip again. Apply another coat of glaze to the flesh side. Repeat this process twice more, flipping and glazing every minute or so, building lacquered layers. The sugars in the sauce will caramelize at the edges, creating those characteristic charred spots. Total cooking time after the initial sear runs 5 to 6 minutes for medium (slightly translucent center) or 7 to 8 for well done.
If the glaze begins to smoke excessively, reduce heat to medium. You want caramelization, not carbonization. - 6
Season the rice
Fluff the cooked rice with a fork or rice paddle, separating the grains gently. Drizzle the rice vinegar over the surface and fold it through. This adds brightness that balances the rich glaze. The rice should be tender with distinct, separate grains.
- 7
Plate and serve
Mound rice onto warmed plates, creating a bed for the salmon. Place the glazed fillet beside or atop the rice, skin-side up to showcase its lacquered finish. Drizzle any remaining sauce from the pan over the fish and rice. Scatter sesame seeds and sliced green onions over everything. Serve immediately with pickled ginger on the side. The contrast between rich salmon, sticky rice, and sharp ginger is the whole point.
Chef Tips
- •Wild Pacific salmon season runs roughly May through October, with king salmon appearing first and coho lasting through fall. Frozen-at-sea wild salmon, vacuum-sealed immediately after catch, often surpasses 'fresh' fish that's traveled for days. Ask your fishmonger for FAS options during off-season.
- •Real mirin (hon-mirin) contains alcohol and has depth. The 'mirin-style' condiments found in most supermarkets are corn syrup with additives. Seek out the real thing at Asian grocers or online. It transforms this sauce.
- •Leftover teriyaki sauce keeps refrigerated for two weeks. It thickens considerably when cold but loosens with gentle heat. Use it on grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, or stirred into fried rice.
- •The same preparation works beautifully with steelhead trout, arctic char, or black cod. Adjust cooking times down for thinner fillets, up for the fattier black cod.
Advance Preparation
- •Teriyaki sauce can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. Warm gently before using.
- •Rice can be cooked up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate in an airtight container and reheat with a splash of water in the microwave or a covered pan.
- •Salmon is best cooked fresh, but fillets can be portioned, seasoned lightly, and refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead. Bring to room temperature 20 minutes before cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 330g)
Calories
860 calories
Total Fat
26 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
18 g
Cholesterol
95 mg
Sodium
2960 mg
Total Carbohydrates
89 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
18 g
Protein
41 g
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