Learning to Cook Food

Day 70 – Miso Glazed Baked Salmon II

I’ve settled into a routine of cooking once per week, which has been working out well.  Cooking 1-2 times per week feels like a good amount to start with if you’re just getting started. According to Psychological Science, spreading your efforts out like this is also a more effective way to learn than cooking the same thing for, say, 3 days in a row.

I made the same Baked Fish again and changed 2 things about my process this time:

  1. I used skinless salmon, purchased from Costco.  It only cost $6.99 per pound instead of $13.99.  That savings lowered my cost per serving from $3.76 to $2.01 (47% less).
  2. I marinated the salmon for 12 hours instead of 30 minutes.  Huge difference – doing this improved the fish’s texture and flavor in a good way.

The Recipe

I used the same recipe from Simply Recipes.  It’s simple and tastes great.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of sugar*
  • 1 tablespoon of red/white miso paste*
  • 1 teaspoon of soy sauce*
  • 1 tablespoon of sake*
  • 1 pound (450 grams) of skinless salmon.  [Cut into two 8-ounce / 225-gram  fillets]

*I halved the ingredients for the sauce because last time I had more sauce than I needed

Instructions

  1. Mix the sugar, miso paste, soy sauce, and sake in a bowl.
  2. In a separate container or freezer bag, coat the salmon with the sauce and cover.  Let it marinate overnight.
  3. Line a broiling pan with aluminum foil and lay the salmon on top. Make sure there is an even, thin coating of sauce on top of the fish.
  4. Place the pan about 6 inches from the broiler element in your oven.
  5. Broil for 7-9 minutes, depending on how thick the fillets are and how hot your broiler is. Keep an eye on the salmon. The marinade has sugar in it that can easily cause the glaze to burn. If it starts charring and the cooking isn’t yet finished, place the fish on a lower rack in the oven.
  6. Remove the fish after 7 minutes to check the temperature.  When the salmon reaches 145°F (63°C) at the thickest part, it is ready.  If it’s not there yet, put it back in the oven for 2 more minutes, then check again.
  7. Serve with rice and vegetables.

Notes

  • The salmon was cooked perfectly.  Shout out again to my digital thermometer!
  • I’d definitely marinate it overnight again.  You can see in the video that the fish had a better char on the outside, which gave it both a better texture and flavor.

Peace!

OTHER POSTS IN THE 100-DAY CHALLENGE SERIES

Day 1: Intro to Me & My Goal
Day 4: “Why Learn?” and My Cooking Background
Day 7: What Should I Learn to Cook FIRST?
Day 10: Pasta + Meat Sauce (Tomato Bolognese)
Day 21: Pasta + Meat Sauce (less Tomato)
Day 28: Pasta + Meat Sauce (Beef Stroganoff)
Day 35: Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs
Day 42: Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs
Day 49: Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs (coated with flour)
Day 56: Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts
Day 63: Miso Glazed Baked Salmon
Day 70: Miso Glazed Baked Salmon II
Day 77: Miso Glazed Baked Salmon III
Day 84: Final Exam
Day 95: What’s Next?
Day 100: Final Thoughts