Thrilled With the Beautiful Colors, but Not the Flavors
![Japanese miso salmon](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Japanese_miso_salmon.jpg)
Although the green and white scallions on the bright red-orange sockeye salmon resulted in attractive colors, the sweetness didn’t entice me to eat more of it.
Below are some links to more details, including photos:
My Story
During one of my weekly trips to Costco, I found fresh wild whole sockeye salmon available for a dollar more per pound than what I usually spent on whole black cod there. To add some variety to our fish consumption, I decided to purchase one. However, that meant that I had to find a recipe since I hadn’t cooked this type of salmon before.
Inspiring Recipe
After some time on the internet, I found Japanese Miso Salmon Side (BBQ or bake) from a food blog, RecipeTin Eats. This website is also my go-to resource when I roast skin-on pork belly.
First Try
With the salmon already in the refrigerator, I still had to get a couple of key ingredients not already at home, i.e., the miso paste and sake.
Ingredients to Use
Starting with 2.97 pounds of salmon, I updated the default recipe to 7 servings.
Not only did I modify the recipe by using a whole salmon instead of a side of salmon, I also planned not to garnish with sesame seeds, since I didn’t think they would add much flavor to the dish.
As for the other garnish, I chose the scallions over the shallots and prepared to cut up two of them.
![Mirin, oil, white sugar, sake, miso paste, scallion, and salmon](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Japanese_miso_salmon_ingredients.jpg)
Steps to Prepare
In addition to the adjustments already made to the recipe as noted above, below are details to how I referenced the instructions:
- Step 1 – I mixed together the marinade ingredients in a small cup instead of a bowl.
- Steps 2 and 3 – After trimming the tail off the fish, I was able to fit it in the baking pan that I was using as the work surface. With the marinade divided into four parts, I slathered each portion into each side of the skin and flesh.
- Step 4 – By the time I was ready to prepare dinner, the salmon had already been marinating for about 25 hours.
- Step 5 – Scraping off the marinade ended up being an exercise of scaling the fish as well. After that, I let the salmon come to room temperature over almost a period of 1.5 hours.
- Step 6 – I skipped this step since I was making the salmon in the oven instead of on a barbecue.
- Step 7 – Though I assumed that I was supposed to oil the pan that was going into the oven, I forgot about it and went straight to the baking instructions in Step 3 of the Recipe Notes section.
- Step 8 – After broiling the salmon for 2 minutes in the previous step, I rested it for about 10 minutes in the roasting plan on top of a burner that was off. However, I didn’t cover the pan with foil as I didn’t think that was necessary.
- Step 9 – I garnished the fish with scallions, as planned.
![Marinade in a glass measuring cup](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Cup_of_marinade.jpg)
![Salmon with marinade on a plastic-lined baking pan](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Salmon_with_marinade.jpg)
![Salmon wrapped in plastic on a baking pan](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Salmon_in_plastic.jpg)
![Salmon on a foil-lined roasting pan with marinade removed](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Salmon_before_baking.jpg)
![Cooked salmon resting on a foil-lined roasting pan](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Cooked_salmon_resting.jpg)
![Sliced scallions on a white plate](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Scallions_sliced.jpg)
Time to Eat
With scallions on the salmon, I was ready to serve it for dinner.
![Garnished salmon on a foil-lined roasting pan](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Salmon_garnished.jpg)
Recipe Rating
Below were the results of the recipe after the first try:
Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
---|---|---|---|
7️⃣* | 🤏 | 💰💰 | 🙂 |
After trying the fish, I found the flavors too light and the meat too cool. Also, I would’ve preferred the fattier Atlantic instead of the leaner sockeye salmon.
Second Try
During the second attempt, my goal was to marinate a side of salmon in hopes that the flavor would be more pronounced and flesh warmer.
Ingredients to Use
After purchasing a sockeye salmon fillet weighing 2.03 pounds, I used the same ingredients as the first time. However, since I didn’t have enough mirin for the 5 servings in the default recipe, I made up the rest by substituting it with a mixture of sake and sugar.
Based on the article, Japanese Pantry Essentials: Sake vs Mirin, from Just One Cookbook, the same website that I referenced to make honey-flavored chicken and Japanese chicken curry, the ratio for the alternative would be 1 tablespoon of sake mixed with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
As for the garnish, I only used one scallion this time.
Steps to Prepare
For the process, as compared to the first try, only the following steps were different:
- Step 2 – Though I used the baking pan as the work surface again, there was no tail to contend with this time. As for the marinade, I divided it in two parts, according to the instructions.
- Step 4 – Since I started to marinate the salmon late one night, I decided to continue it for about 43 hours.
- Step 5 – I let the salmon come to room temperature over a period of 2 hours this time.
- Step 8 – For this step, I followed the recipe by resting the fish for 5 minutes under a piece of foil.
![Salmon with marinade on a plastic-lined baking pan (Try 2)](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Salmon_with_marinade2.jpg)
![Salmon wrapped in plastic on a baking pan (Try 2)](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Salmon_in_plastic2.jpg)
![Salmon on a foil-lined roasting pan with marinade removed (Try 2)](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Salmon_before_baking2.jpg)
![Cooked salmon resting on a foil-lined roasting pan (Try 2)](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Cooked_salmon_resting2.jpg)
Time to Eat
Since I used the cut of fish as noted in the recipe, I was curious to see if this helped with the flavor and temperature of the meat.
![Garnished salmon on a foil-lined roasting pan (Try 2)](https://undumbing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Salmon_garnished2.jpg)
Recipe Rating
Below are the results of the recipe from the second attempt:
Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
---|---|---|---|
7️⃣* | 🤏 | 💰💰 | 🤔 |
The salmon was warmer, surprisingly tender, and more flavorful. However, I wasn’t crazy about the sweetness this time.
It’s unlikely that I’ll try this recipe again, but if I were to, I would do the following:
Continuous Improvement
- Stick with mirin instead of a substitute of sake and sugar.
- Use Atlantic salmon.
From this experience of baking salmon, I learned the following that I would like to share with my dumber self:
Lesson for Dumber Self
- A whole fish can’t be substituted for a side of fish!
What will you do now?
Next Step for You
- Try the recipe, Japanese Miso Salmon Side (BBQ or bake), from the food blog, RecipeTin Eats?
- Share your favorite way of cooking sockeye salmon?
- Read another post on this site? (Go to the menu at the top of the page.)