Yuanyaki means cooked (yaki) Yuan-style. During the Edo era (1603-1868) there lived a tea ceremony master named Yuan Kitamura (or Yuan Katada). He also happened to be a gourmet, and came up with the original idea of marinating fish in soy sauce, sake, and for the first time in the history of Japanese cuisine, mirin. The delicious combination bears his name to this day. A popular variation is to add slices of yuzu, lime or kabosu (type of Japanese citrus fruit) into the marinade.
In Japan, a small fish grill is an extremely common part of any stovetop (and much more common than the full-size ovens I was used to in North America). We used a fish grill in the pictures below, but you can try it on the barbecue, or simply pan-fry it. Either way, this fish dish is delish 🙂
Yuanyaki Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 slices salmon
- 2 leaves shiso
- 2½ tbsp soy sauce (marinade)
- 1½ tbsp mirin (marinade)
- 2 tsp sake (marinade)
- 1-2 yuzu, lime or kabosu fruit (marinade)
Instructions
- 「PREP」Cut the citrus fruit into round slices and set two slices aside for the garnish. Mix the yuan marinade ingredients in a container or shallow bowl. Add the salmon and leave to marinate for 1 to 2 hours (the thicker the fish, the longer you can marinate it).
- Put the salmon slices in a pre-heated grill or frying pan. Cook each side for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. If using a frying pan, you can add any leftover marinade to each side while cooking.
- Arrange a piece of shiso and slice of salmon on each plate, add citrus fruit slices and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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