Impromptu Chef: Honey-Broiled Salmon

Summertime in Kyoto can be an appetite killer for a number of reasons.

I love to cook.  I find it relaxing and rejuvenating and just plain fun.  But once June hits, the last thing I want to do when I get home to the sweltering box I live in is cook something that requires me to turn on the stove.  This recipe requires no stove and only 6-10 minutes in the broiler (or toaster oven or ‘oven’ setting on your microwave).  No gas, no heat, and very little mess.

Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

What you need:

• ~½  naga-negi (leek)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp minced (fresh) ginger
• 3 Salmon Fillets

What to do:

1. Slice a little over half the white portion of the naga-negi.
2. Peel and mince your ginger
3. To make the marinade, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, and naga-negi together until the honey dissolves.
4. Put salmon and marinade in a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.  (Personally, I go in after 10 minutes and shake it up to make sure the salmon has been equally coated and then leave it for at least another 10.)
5. Preheat your oven/toaster/broiler.  Line a baking tray with foil. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skin-side down (or skinned-side down if you bought skinned salmon).  Spoon marinade and as many onions as you want on top and broil the salmon until cooked through.  Usually about 6-10 minutes.  (To check if salmon is done, cut into the thickest part and see if it flakes.  Don’t be afraid to check it as often as you want!)
6. Remove from oven/toaster/broiler and serve!

This recipe is good paired with rice, but it’s also great as a salad topper if you just want a big, cool, summer salad for lunch.  If you’d like to use the remaining marinade, you can bring it to a boil in a pan (even adding more naga-negi if you’d like) and spoon it on top of the cooked salmon—but this will use the stove, so be warned.  Be sure you’ve brought it to that boil though and let it simmer for a few minutes or I’m not responsible for the consequences.  [ed. – anything from poopies to deeeeeeeath]

The last time I made this recipe, I paired it with a cucumber salad and somen—it was light, filling, and cool enough for a hot night.

To make the Cucumber Salad you need:

• 3 cucumbers
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sesame seeds

1. Thinly slice the cucumbers—I use the slice section of the cheese grater.
2. Mix the cucumbers together with the salt until coated.  Then add sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and mix well.
3. Sprinkle in the sesame seeds and give it one final mix before putting it into the fridge to marinate for about 20 minutes.
4. Serve and enjoy!

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