How to Make Miso Salmon Skewers

Salmon is a fish that complements salty and sweet flavors. These salmon fillets are skewered before cooking to make eating them without utensils easy and almost mess-free. This version broils the miso-covered salmon until the sauce begins to bubble and brown into a lovely caramelized topping.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• ½ lb fresh salmon, wild-caught salmon have a fresher taste
• ½ cup white miso paste
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• Water to thin sauce
• Oil for the pan
• Thick double-pronged bamboo skewers
• kitchen tongs or a spatula
• Broiler-proof saute pan or casserole dish
• Above ingredients

1. Soak the skewers in water overnight. This prevents the skewer from catching on fire under the broiler.

2. Make sure your fish has all of the bones pulled out before slicing it. You can often ask your fishmonger to pull them out for you before wrapping your purchase up.

3. If you still have bones in your fillet, you can feel them by running your hand along the thickest part of your fillet. The bones will feel like stiff rubbery knobs in the flesh.

4. Use fish pliers or brand new and washed pliers from a hardware store. Pinch the end of the bone with the pliers and firmly pull the bone out from the flesh. Discard the bones.

5. If your fillet is more than six inches thick, cut it lengthwise into two pieces. Then cut the two pieces into slices no wider than 1½ inches thick. You want a rectangular block approximately 1½ inches by three inches.

6. Once the fish is cut, cover and refrigerate it while you make the sauce.

7. In a small bowl, add the miso paste, vinegar and honey. Thoroughly mix the sauce until it is completely consistent. Taste it and adjust the seasonings to your palate. If the sauce is too salty add more honey. If conversely it’s too sweet, add more vinegar and miso.

8. The sauce should be similar in consistency to barbeque sauce but slightly thicker. If the paste is too thick, add a tablespoon of water to thin the mixture down.

9. Move one of your oven racks to the highest rack setting. Heat your oven to its broiler setting, usually 500 degrees.

10. Take the salmon out of the refrigerator and deeply impale the salmon on the skewers. The skewers should be at least half-buried in the steak.

11. Using a basting brush or your clean fingers, evenly brush the sauce on the top of the salmon steaks.

12. In a medium sauté pan that has a high heat-proof handle, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat.

13. Sear the bottom of the salmon for approximately four minutes, making sure to not move the salmon to obtain a nice crust on the bottom.

14. Once the bottom of the fish is cooked, move the sauté pan under your oven broiler and broil the top of the fish for a further two minutes, until the sauce is beginning to bubble and brown.

15. Carefully take the hot sauté pan out of the oven and let the fish rest in the pan a further minute. This finishes the cooking of the salmon. The fish should be fully cooked at this point.

16. Use kitchen tongs or a spatula to lift the salmon out of the sauté pan and into a serving dish.

17. If you are not eating these right away, transfer the salmon to the refrigerator to cool overnight before packing for a cold meal.

18. Serve these salmon skewers with a side dish of light soy sauce.

19. Serve and enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• You can buy thick double-pronged bamboo skewers at Asian markets or a well-stocked kitchen supply store. If you can’t find those types of skewers, you can use two thin bamboo skewers to give your steaks stability while cooking and eating.
• You can buy miso paste and rice vinegar at an Asian market or a well-stocked grocery store.
• Use thick pot holders or double-up on pot holders when handling dishes coming from a broiler so you don’t accidentally burn your hands on the super heated surfaces.
• You can use other types of sauces for the top of your salmon, such as honey mustard or ginger soy sauce. Whatever you use, keep the flavors simple to let the taste of the salmon shine through.
• If your sauté pan has a plastic handle that is not rated for high temperatures, don’t use this under the broiler as your handle will melt. Instead, transfer the fish into a casserole dish to broil the steaks.
• Whenever broiling food, keep a watchful eye on your food since the high temperatures can very quickly turn done food into burnt food.

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