Salmon and Daikon in Garlic Butter Miso Sauce

Salmon and Daikon in Garlic Butter Miso Sauce was another successful Asian inspired dish. We picked up beautiful Salmon at Gelson's. We actually got two nights dinner out of it!  We had to search a bit to find the Daikon. I expected the Daikon to be hard to cut, but it actually is a tender vegetable, making it easy to slice. Our neighbors Kevin and Lauren had given us a bottle of Sake that went perfectly with it.

Salmon and Daikon in Garlic Butter Miso Sauce

New York Times

 

A stunning one-pot meal that cooks in just 15 minutes, this salmon dish creates a silky miso sauce that tastes lavish. The recipe comes from Naoko Takei Moore, who co-authored “Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking” with Kyle Connaughton (Ten Speed Press, 2015) and created Toiro, a Los Angeles shop that specializes in donabe and Japanese cookware. It’s intended to be cooked in a donabe, a Japanese clay pot prized for its ability to retain heat and cook evenly, but also works well in a Dutch oven or other pot. Once you’ve stirred together your miso sauce, seasoned your salmon and prepped your vegetables, the meal comes together with little effort, as you layer the vegetables, dashi, salmon and sauce in your pot then simmer until tender. Organize your prepped ingredients and the practice of cooking this dish feels as soul-soothing as the results.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 servings

 

FOR THE MISO SAUCE

 

¼       cup miso

2        tablespoons sake

1        tablespoon mirin

 

FOR THE SALMON

 

1        teaspoon sea salt

1        pound salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into 6 to 8 pieces

½       pound daikon, halved lengthwise if thick, then cut crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick slices

1¼     cups dashi, preferably kombu and bonito dashi

1        (7-ounce) package enoki mushrooms, trimmed then torn into small clusters (about 5 ounces)

1        small carrot, peeled, cut into 2-inch segments then sliced into ⅛-inch-thick matchsticks

2        garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1        tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 6 to 8 pieces and chilled

Fresh or bottled yuzu juice (or Meyer lemon juice), to taste (optional)

Chopped dill, for serving (optional)

Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice powder), for serving

Freshly cooked rice, for serving

 

PREPARATION

 

1.    Make the miso sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, sake and mirin; set aside.

2.    Prepare the salmon: Sprinkle the salt on both sides of the salmon. Set aside for 15 to 30 minutes, then pat dry using paper towels.

3.    Arrange the daikon slices in an even layer to cover the bottom of a large donabe or Dutch oven. Add the dashi, cover with a lid and set over medium-high heat.

4.    As soon as the dashi starts to boil, add the enoki mushrooms and carrot in layers. Add the salmon pieces, then pour the miso sauce over the salmon. Sprinkle the garlic on top, followed by the butter.

5.    Cover with the lid again, turn down the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for about 4 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through.

6.    Drizzle the yuzu juice over the salmon, if using. Divide among individual bowls and garnish with chopped dill (if using) and shichimi togarashi. Serve with rice.