Maple-Soy Cured Salmon Belly
I had a piece of Alaskan King salmon belly left from the salmon tartare cornets I made the other day, so I placed it in a mixture of maple syrup and dark soy sauce and left it to cure for 24 hours. The next day I cooked it in the Sous Vide Supreme at 50′ C for 15 minutes and grilled it quickly over Japanese Binchō-tan charcoal. I think this was the most delicious salmon I ever had. Moist, flaky and succulent in the inside with the perfect balance of salty and sweet and the smokey char and light caramelization from the grill on the outside. I finished it up with fleur de sel and a stir-fry of soy beans, boiled peanuts, shimeji mushrooms and pickled eggplant with a soy-ginger vinaigrette.
Binchō-tan charcoal is a high-quality white charcoal from Japan made from oak and usually used for yakitori. It is more expensive but worth every penny for the flavor it imparts the food.
I did manage to smoke-up the whole house to get the first shot, even though I was in a well ventilated place and only used a small amount of charcoal. I know this might seem obvious to you but just remember you can’t use your outdoor grill inside in the winter, even in your garage, as they produce large amounts of carbon monoxide. Do the grilling on your doorsteps instead to be safe unless you have a commercial grade exhaust system. This is coming from a well-trained culinary acrobat with a taste for danger [cough-cough]. If you live in California or any warm weather place, as many of you who read this blog, I envy you!
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Maple-Soy Cured Salmon Belly
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- Serves 4
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For the cured salmon belly:
- 1 lb King salmon belly
- 1/4 cup dark amber maple syrup
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
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For the stir-fry + soy ginger vinaigrette:
- 4 ounces soy beans, blanched
- 4 ounces boiled peanuts
- 4 ounces shimeji mushrooms
- pickled eggplant
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1– inch piece fresh ginger – peeled and finely grated
- ½ cup peanut oil
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To finish the dish:
- 1 charcoal grill
- Binchō-tan charcoal
- Fleur de sel
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For the cured salmon belly:
- Combine the soy sauce and the maple syrup in a small bowl. Place the salmon belly in a vacuum or ziploc bag and pour the mixture on top. Seal and marinate for 24 hours.
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For the stir-fry + soy ginger vinaigrette:
- In a stir-fry pan heat some peanut oil and combine the blanched soy beans, the boiled peanuts and the shimeji mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the pickled eggplant (found at Japanese stores) and cook for a few seconds more. Keep warm.
- Combine the rice vinegar, the maple syrup, the soy sauce and the grated ginger in a small bowl. Add the peanut oil and whisk until emulsified.
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To finish the dish:
- Prepare a charcoal grill in a well ventilated place. When the fire has subsided and the coals are red hot place a grill on top.
- Discard the salmon marinade and place the salmon belly in a vacuum seal bag. Vacuum on low. Preheat a water bath to 122’F (50’C) and place the pouch in the water for 20 minutes. (That step is optional but will produce a perfectly moist salmon on the inside, you can otherwise cook the salmon on the grill all the way).
- Grill the salmon on the hot coals until nicely caramelized on the outside. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.
- Serve with the soy bean stir-fry and the soy-ginger vinaigrette on the side.
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