Chilled Sweet & Sour Marinated Salmon (Nanbanzuke)
Marinated in soy dashi vinaigrette and served chilled, Salmon Nanbanzuke is a delightful seafood appetizer or main dish. The unique preparation allows the salmon to keep for days! This refreshing dish pairs perfectly with chilled sparkling sake or white wine.
Ingredients
Servings:
For the Salmon
- 1 lb salmon
- 4 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup neutral oil (divided for frying the salmon and vegetables)
For the Vegetables
- ½ carrot (3 oz, 85 g)
- ½ onion (6 oz, 170 g)
- ½ green bell pepper (2 oz, 57 g; I use Japanese piman bell pepper)
For the Nanban Marinade
- 1 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) (Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- ¾ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 3 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (you can use regular soy sauce, but the final dish will be darker)
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 3 Tbsp sugar
For the Garnish (Optional)
- lemon slices
- parsley
Instructions
Before You Start
- This recipe requires a chilling time of 30+ minutes. Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Nanban Marinade
- Combine ¾ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned), 1 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), 3 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce or regular soy sauce, and 3 Tbsp sugar. in a large container with a lid.
- Add 2 Tbsp sake and 2 Tbsp mirin.
To Prepare the Vegetables
- Cut ½ carrot into 2-inch pieces. Slice the pieces into slabs.
- Cut the slabs into julienned strips. Thinly slice ½ onion widthwise so it keeps its shape and texture during cooking.
- Remove the seeds from ½ green bell pepper and cut into julienned strips.
- Cook the vegetables: Heat a large frying pan. Add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Add the onion and sauté.
- Stir to coat the onions in oil. Add the carrot and bell pepper.
- Stir to combine and coat with oil. Cook until wilted but still crisp (don’t overcook). Transfer to the marinade to soak.
To Prepare the Salmon
- Remove the skin from 1 lb salmon. Start by pulling one corner of the skin. Hold down the flesh with a knife as you peel the skin off. Set the skin aside to cook for garnish, if you'd like (see below).Nami's Tip: I‘ll show you how to crisp the salmon skin in a later step. Cover and refrigerate the skin for now.
- Cut the salmon into lengthwise blocks.
- Cut crosswise into bite-sized pieces, about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick.
- Season with ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Heat the oil: In the same frying pan, heat the rest of the neutral oil over medium heat.
- Dredge the salmon for frying: Sprinkle 4 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch over the salmon and coat well.
- Dust off the excess starch.
To Cook and Marinate the Salmon
- Do not overcrowd the pan, and cook in batches. Add the salmon to the hot oil, leaving space between each piece. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon). Use a splatter screen to reduce oil splatters.Nami's Tip: The oil temperature will drop quickly if you add too many salmon pieces to the pan at once.
- Shake off the oil from the cooked salmon. Add the hot salmon directly into the marinade.
- Fry the rest of the salmon and add to the marinade.
- Top the salmon with the vegetables so the fish is completely submerged in the marinade.
- Marinate the salmon: Cover with the lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.
To Crisp the Salmon Skin (Optional)
- Sprinkle salt on the salmon skin. Bake at 325ºF (160ºC) in the oven or toaster oven for 30 minutes until crispy. The skin will cook in its rendered fat. Break the crispy skin into smaller pieces and use as a garnish when serving this dish.
To Serve
- Serve chilled. Place some vegetables from the marinade on a plate. Top with the salmon.
- Garnish with lemon slices, parsley, and baked salmon skin.
To Store
- Salmon nanbanzuke keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5–6 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 377kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 434mg, Potassium: 796mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 3651IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 1mg
