Recipe: Steamed Salmon and Roe

the appetizer:

Japanese Cooking, a classic cookbook by Shizuo Tsuji, has been updated, and includes recipes for Homemade Japanese Noodles, Clam Consommé, and Steamed Salmon and Roe.

Steamed Salmon and Roe

Sake no Oyako-mushi

Like the popular Chicken-'n-Egg On Rice (page 283 of the book), this dish also bears the whimsical Japanese name oyako, "parent and child."

4 servings

1 pound (450 g) boneless and skinless
fillet of salmon (defrosted is fine)
oil
4 Tbsps salmon roe
2 Tbsps saké
1 cup grated giant white radish (daikon-oroshi)
1/2 egg white, lightly beaten
pinch salt

sauce:

1 cup dashi
2 Tbsps light soy sauce
3 Tbsps mirin
2 Tbsps vinegar
2 tsps cornstarch, mixed with 2 tsps water
1 lemon, quartered

To prepare and steam: Salt the salmon (see furi-jio technique, page 132 of the book) and cut into large bite-sized pieces. Lay the pieces in a lightly oiled, hot frying pan and fry over medium heat till heat penetrates thoroughly, about 3 minutes total for both sides. Turn carefully to keep pieces from crumbling. Remove to a colander and rinse with boiling water. Immediately place pieces in 4 individual vessels for steaming.

In a bowl, with your fingers mix the roe in 2 Tbsps saké (this cleans the roe); then discard this liquid. Remove excess water from grated radish by squeezing it gently in cheesecloth. Fluff squeezed radish and then mix in the beaten egg white and salt. Finally, toss the roe with the radish. Spoon over the salmon pieces in the steaming vessels.

Cover vessels tightly with plastic wrap or foil and steam over high heat for 5 minutes.

To assemble and serve: While steaming the main ingredients, make the sauce. In a medium-sized saucepan combine the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Pour in the cornstarch-and-water mixture and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.

Remove vessels from the steamer and uncover. Spoon the thickened sauce over the roe-radish-salmon and the squeeze the juice of a quarter lemon over each portion. Serve immediately. Eat with spoons or forks.

Goes well with Crab-and-Tofu Balls in Broth (page 413).