Poached Salmon Hot Pot

My friend Elisabeth Saucier is a fantastic recipe-testing partner: she’s a great cook with discerning taste buds and she’s not afraid to give me honest feedback. While we were working on this recipe together, Elisabeth had the brilliant idea of gently cooking the salmon separately, and then topping each bowl of steaming soup with the still-pink-inside fish, to poach gently in the broth to tender perfection.

I also love adding greens to this hot pot for a burst of color and some extra vitamins — try 5 ounces of chopped asparagus and a cup of baby spinach leaves.

Make in Advance:

Basic Dashi Stock (3 hrs, 40 minutes) or you can make dash with an instant mix

Steamed Japanese Rice (1hr, 25 minutes)

Poached Salmon Hot Pot

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Yield: 4-6 Servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

THIS DISH HAS RECIPES TO MAKE IN ADVANCE, SEE RECIPE LINKS ABOVE.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds, 1-inch -thick, skin-on salmon fillets (preferably Atlantic salmon)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1⁄2 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 5 cups Basic Dashi Stock, or dashi made with an instant mix
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 2 tbsp sake
• 11⁄2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 1⁄2 small satsumaimo sweet potato,or regular sweet potato, peeled and very thinly sliced on a mandoline
• 3 ounces wood ear, shiitake or mushrooms of your choice, cleaned and trimmed
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• Steamed Japanese Rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the salmon fillets, skin sides down. Cover the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, until the salmon is opaque on the outside and still a bit raw on the inside. Uncover the skillet and cook for about 1 minute, until the skin gets a little more crispy — this will make it easier to remove the skin. Transfer the salmon to a plate, skin sides up.
3. Using a paring knife, gently remove the skin from the salmon. Return the skin to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until very crispy on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the crispy salmon skins to the paper towel–lined plate to drain. Season them with salt. Cut the salmon skins into small strips to use as a topping.
4. In a 4-quart (3.8 L) hot pot or large saucepan over medium-high heat (about 425°F, or 220°C, in an electric hot pot), heat the sesame oil until shimmering. Add the onion. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Add the dashi, miso, sake, soy sauce and mirin, stirring to dissolve the miso. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the carrot and sweet potato to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add the mushrooms and bean sprouts. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes more. Cut the salmon into 1-inch-thick (2.5 cm) pieces.
7. Ladle the soup and vegetables into shallow bowls. Top each bowl with 3 or 4 pieces of salmon and garnish with the crispy salmon skin. The salmon will continue to cook in the hot soup. Serve with the steamed rice on the side.

Recommended Products:

Hon Dashi - Instant Dashi Soup Stock