Ochazuke, with flaked salmon, rice and a miso broth, is a meal full of calm comfort

Name: Ochazuke, with flaked salmon, rice and a miso broth, is a meal full of calm comfort
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese
Ingredients: 2 thin fillets salmon or arctic char (about 8 ounces total), deboned; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt; 3 cups water; 2 fresh shiitake or other small mushrooms, sliced (optional); 2 scallions, white and light green parts separated from dark green, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon shiro (white) miso, plus more to taste; 1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more for serving; 1 teaspoon mirin (optional); 2 cups cooked white rice; 2 sheets nori, thinly sliced or crumbled, for serving; 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, for serving; 2 teaspoons surigoma (see NOTE) or toasted sesame seeds, for serving; 2 teaspoons bubu arare (see NOTE) or 1/2 puffed rice cake, broken up for serving (optional); 1 teaspoon wasabi paste, for serving (optional)

6 steps

Prep:15minCook:15min

The Japanese dish is a marvelous way to use up leftover rice.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 08:49:14 GMT

Ingredients

2 servings

2fillets salmon

thin, or arctic char, deboned

¼ teaspoonfine sea salt

or table

3 cupswater

2fresh shiitake mushrooms

or other small, sliced, optional

2scallions

white and light green parts separated from dark green, thinly sliced

1 tablespoonshiro miso

white, plus more to taste

1 tablespoonsoy sauce

plus more for serving

1 teaspoonmirin

optional

2 cupswhite rice

cooked

2 sheetsnori

thinly sliced or crumbled, for serving

2 teaspoonstoasted sesame oil

for serving

2 teaspoonssurigoma

or toasted sesame seeds, for serving

2 teaspoonsbubu arare

broken up for serving, optional

1 teaspoonwasabi paste

for serving, optional

Instructions

Step 1

Pat the salmon or arctic char fillets dry and season with salt.

Step 2

In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the water, mushrooms, if using, and the white and light green scallion slices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Ladle about a cup of the hot broth into a small bowl, and whisk in the miso, then stir this mixture back into the pot. Taste, and add more miso if desired. Cover and keep warm over very low heat while you cook the salmon.

Step 3

Heat a medium, preferably nonstick or cast-iron, skillet over high heat. Lay fish fillets in the pan, skin side down, and cook until skin crisps and fish begins to turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Cook until the fish looks almost cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes; you can check using the tip of a sharp knife or just by looking at the sides of each fillet, where you should see a slightly darker center.

Step 4

Remove the skin and allow it to crisp in the pan’s residual heat if desired, or discard it. Using chopsticks or a fork, break the salmon into flakes.

Step 5

Remove the broth from the heat, and whisk in the soy sauce and mirin, if using. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if desired.

Step 6

To serve, portion rice into two bowls. Top each bowl of rice with half of the flaked fish, the crisped fish skin, if using, and 1 1/2 cups of broth. Dress each bowl with the nori, sesame oil, surigoma or toasted sesame seeds, bubu arare or crumbled puffed rice cake, the dark green scallion slices and a dab of wasabi, if using. Serve with soy sauce on the side.