Sake Poached Salmon
Poaching in alcohol has several benefits. First, it cooks the fish gently, so you can control the inner temperature of the fish with ease, avoiding over-cooking. The sake also flavors the fish beautifully (don’t worry, the alcohol cooks off! Lastly, your house won't smell of fish the way it does when you fry or sauté.
Ingredients
Fresh salmon - roughly 1/3 lb per person
1 bottle sake (use the less expensive, dry sake)
3 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1 inch ginger sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, rough chopped
A dash of sesame oil
Soy sauce (topping)
Directions
Empty most of the bottle of sake into a flat pan with high sides, large enough to fit the salmon and deep enough to submerge half way.
Add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and sesame oil.
Bring the sake mixture to a simmer and then reduce the heat.
Lay the salmon gently in the simmering liquid.
Poach for 2 - 3 minutes, flip, and poach another 2 - 5 minutes, until cooked to your desired temp (we like ours rare in the center).
Serve with Japanese rice, toasted nori, avocado, cucumber, and good quality soy sauce.
NOTES:
This dish is best topped with high quality soy sauce/tamari. Here’s a wonderful article about Yasuo Yamamoto, a traditional tamari maker in Japan. Shop for his soy sauce HERE.