Sake Salmon Sashimi

In this recipe the sake tenderises the salmon flesh and makes it tender beyond belief, it will literary melt in the mouth at each bite. Pregnant women are sometimes warned about eating raw fish but during my first pregnancy I hankered after salmon sashimi. I am fortunate enough to have a great working relationship with the Scottish salmon farm Loch Duart which have outstanding credentials for responsible salmon farming. I therefore felt totally confident that the salmon sashimi I ate every single day was doing both me and my baby good.  My doctor was more than happy with this, I had a fantastic pregnancy and I gave birth to a healthy 10.9 pound boy. I suspect this is the reason that sushi, particularly salmon has always been my son’s favorite food. I have made this recipe for either one greedy teenager or for 2 to share making about 14 pieces of sashimi in total.

I recommend a sashimi knife for cutting sashimi, however a sharp cook’s knife is also suitable.

200 grams trimmed salmon fillet cut from top half of a salmon fillet

½ shallot onion  

1 small clove of garlic

20 ml soy sauce

10 ml sake

10 ml mirin

First make the marinade; finely chop the garlic and the onion. Add to a mixing bowl with soy, mirin and sake, leave to infuse.  

Place the ½ salmon fillet skin side down on a chopping board. Cut in 2 halves along the middle line of the fillet and use the thicker (but leaner in fat) side for sashimi.  The other half, the belly side is perfect for nigiri (recipe to follow shortly). Now place salmon piece vertically on the chopping board skin side facing up and the thickest part facing left. Remove the skin and brown meat trimming of the skin ensuring to use long even cutting movements towards yourself using the full length of the blade. Trim either side of the block on its length, no more than half a centimetre on either side. This is to straighten the block and this remaining piece is called a saku block. Save the salmon skin for salmon skin roll (recipe to follow shortly).

Now cut the saku block into sashimi pieces placing it horizontally on the chopping board. Position your knife at a 45 degree ankle and an additional tilt of 45 degrees aiming to cut by sliding the knife towards yourself starting on the heel of the knife. Cut the sashimi pieces about 1/2 centimetre each and repeat process on the full length of the saku block.

Use a container similar shape as your saku block, so the sashimi fits in snug, then pour over the marinate and leave to marinate for 20 minutes. Return to the sashimi after 10 minutes and douse the sashimi in the marinate with a spoon just to ensure all the salmon benefits. Now gently lift sashimi out of the marinate and place in a shallow dish and drizzle over a couple of spoons of the marinate. The sashimi is ready to serve.

Tips: the soy sauce can be replaced by tamari for a gluten free version. Sake can be replaced with mirin or visa versa if you have just either to hand.