Wild BC Keta Salmon Sushi Stacks
This delicious dish has layers of flavourful Wild BC Keta (Chum) Salmon and is rounded out with kabocha squash and white miso, marinated cucumbers, sushi rice, and some ikura (salmon roe) for that perfect little touch. Great for when you want to make a meal to impress, but with a bit of advanced prep it actually comes together way faster than you'd think. Enjoy!
Servings: 4-8. Prep Time: 30 mins. Cook Time: 40 mins. Passive Time: 4 hours
Ingredients
Salmon:
275 g Keta (Chum) Salmon fillet skin and pin bones removed
30 ml mirin (2 tbsp)
15 ml sake (1 tbsp)
30 ml shoyu (soy sauce) (2 tbsp)
15 ml honey (1 tbsp)
Squash:
340 g cooked kabocha squash (~1 and 1/3 cups)
70 g white (shiro) miso (~1/4 cup)
60 ml rice vinegar (1/4 cup)
60 ml sesame oil (1/4 cup)
10 ml mirin (2 tsp)
Cucumbers:
200 g cucumber thinly sliced into rounds
15 ml rice vinegar (1 tbsp)
15 ml shoyu (soy sauce) (1 tbsp)
7.5 ml mirin (1.5 tsp)
7.5 ml sesame oil (1.5 tsp)
Sushi Rice:
400 g cooked short grain rice (2 cups)
5 ml mirin (1 tsp)
30 ml rice vinegar (2 tbsp)
Topping:
1/4 cup squash and miso mixture from above
30 ml Japanese mayo (2 tbsp)
15 ml rice vinegar (1 tbsp)
roasted squash seeds
pea sprouts
60 g ikura (salmon roe)
shichimi togarashi (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Salmon:
- Combine the mirin and sake in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the soy sauce and honey.
and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Place the salmon fillet in a plastic bag and pour the cooled marinade over. Squeeze out any excess air and marinate for between 4 hours and up to overnight.
- Preheat an oven to 250°F (120° C).
- Use a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil to create a little 'boat' (simply crumple up the edges and leave a flat center) to hold the salmon and keep the marinade from running out. Put the 'boat' on a baking sheet, then place salmon fillet in the center. Pour the remaining marinade over the salmon.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through but still tender. Remove from the oven and spoon any remaining liquid over the top.
- Set the oven to broil and place the salmon back inside. Broil for 2 minutes, or until the surface is glazed and a little browned. Keep an eye on it to avoid burning the salmon. Remove the finished salmon from the oven and set aside to cool.
Squash:
- (Note: you can cook the squash any way you like, but it's best to do it ahead of time, for example
while the salmon marinates) Use a potato masher or large spoon to break the cooked squash up into
bite sized pieces.
- Combine the cooked squash, miso, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and mirin in a bowl. Set aside or
refrigerate as-is, or remove a 1/4 cup portion now to make the sauce for serving.
Cucumbers
- Mix all of the liquid ingredients and toss together with cucumbers in a small bowl or container. Set aside, or refrigerate overnight.
Rice
- If you're using fresh-cooked rice here (which is ideal), spread it out in a large, shallow bowl or dish
and cover with a cloth. Allow the rice to cool until it's a little above room temperature. If you're using
rice cooked earlier, cover it with a damp cloth and reheat in the microwave for about 1 minute.
before continuing as above.
- Mix the mirin and rice vinegar in a bowl. Carefully sprinkle this mixture evenly over the rice while
using a large spoon or paddle to stir the rice and ensure even coverage. Taste a bit of rice and adjust
to taste with more mirin or vinegar as necessary. Cover the rice back up with the cloth and set aside until ready to plate.
To Serve
- To make the sauce, combine the reserved 1/4 cup of the squash mixture with the Japanese mayo
and rice vinegar. Mash by hand or with a small mixer/immersion blender. Add water to thin to the
desired consistency (1-2 tbsp should do it).
- Place a round metal form (like a cookie cutter) on a plate. Fill with 1/2 cup rice, followed by about 1/3 cup of the squash mixture, 3-4 layers of marinated cucumbers, and 1/4 of the salmon. Top with roasted squash seeds, pea sprouts, ikura, and a drizzle of sauce. If you like a bit of spice, add a dusting of shichimi togarashi too.
Recipe Notes
- Much of this recipe can be prepared in advance. Doing so will make the whole thing come together quite
quickly, making it ideal for a party. That being said, if you do prep this ahead of time, be sure to pay
attention to temperatures. You want to serve everything at about room temperature, so allow time for
ingredients to either cool down or warm up as necessary.
- Gluten-free option: Simply substitute the shoyu (soy sauce) for a wheat-free tamari. Click here for more info
about using tamari.
Serving Notes
- The degree of fanciness in the presentation is totally up to you. You can simply serve everything in a bowl and get the exact same flavour, so do what feels right for you!
For further recipe information, please visit: www.diversivore.com