It’s incredible to think about how much sushi has grown in popularity in the USA over the past decade…but, it can certainly get expensive in a hurry (especially if you have a large appetite). As such, we like to make our own from time to time. That said, we really don’t use raw fish when we’re making sushi at home, instead opting for imitation crab legs, cooked shrimp, or just making vegetable rolls. Sometimes though, you just want some salmon. For this meal, we are making a deconstructed sushi roll using pan fried salmon fillet. We are then adding a wasabi ginger soy sauce glaze and serving all of that over nori infused sushi rice.
However, this idea/method works to make a deconstructed version of your own favourite roll! Prefer a spicy salmon roll? Top everything off with a Sriracha mayo. Prefer a Seared Tuna and avocado roll? Why not puree avocado with some soy sauce and add that as your topping…or place a layer of sliced avocado between the rice and the tuna? We hope you have fun playing with this concept.
Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Salmon Fillet (whatever size you are hungry enough for)
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- For the sauce:
- 3 Parts Water (We used about 3 tablespoons, and it is enough for two servings)
- 1 Part Soy Sauce
- Wasabi
- Fresh Ginger
- Sugar (to taste…the soy sauce will become bitter as it cooks, so you’ll want to balance that out)
- Corn Starch
- For the rice:
- 1/4 cup White rice per serving (short grain sushi rice is ideal, but not necessary since this is deconstructed, and it doesn’t have to stick together like it would for a roll)
- 4 parts Water per part Rice
- Splash of Rice Vinegar
- Seaweed Sheets (Nori is usually used in sushi making, but Laver, which is common for snacking on, works really well here too since we don’t need to use it to roll anything)
Method:
- Combine all of your rice ingredients into a pot, and start to simmer. The rice will take about 20 minutes, so start this first, and then turn your attention to everything else.
- After the rice has been simmering for about 7-8 minutes, start your sauce. Combine your water, soy sauce, sugar, and wasabi into a sauce pan, and then using a microplane grater, grate some fresh ginger in as well. Whisk together to combine. Bring to a simmer.
- Heat up a cast iron pan with a little oil in the bottom, and when it’s hot, add your salmon, skin side down. Let this cook for about 3 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillet).
- When the salmon is done on the skin side (crispy and golden brown), flip so the skin side is up. At this point, mix a 1:1 ratio of corn starch and warm water (you won’t need much if you’re not making tons of sauce), pour it into your simmering sauce, and whisk to combine. It should start to thicken pretty quickly. Give it a quick taste, and add more sugar as needed.
- When your salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, scoop your rice onto the plate, top it with any other ingredients you like (avocado slices, green onion ribbons, etc), and then layer your salmon atop that (skin side down). Lastly, drizzle on your sauce, and add your panko bread crumbs (as well as any other toppings you like…bean sprouts, green onion ribbons, etc.).
- Devour, and enjoy!
