All opinions are mine and mine alone.
4 Great Salmon Dishes From Around the World
Salmon is an immensely popular fish in culinary cultures all around the world. Good salmon is extremely flavorful and soaks up marinades and sauces wonderfully. The best quality salmon is even eaten raw, which can be extremely delicious. Salmon are able to survive in both fresh and salt waters, and spend different parts of their lifecycle in each zone. Salmon hatch in fresh water before migrating to the open ocean. Mature adults then return to the streams they were born in to spawn. The return journey from the oceans to fresh water is a major yearly ecological event known as a ‘salmon run’. Here are some recipes from around the world that use this versatile fish.
Japan – Mirin Glazed Salmon
Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine that is perfect for creating a delicate glaze on seafood. Mixing mirin, soy sauce, sugar and optionally some chili together in a bowl is a quick way of making a beautiful marinade for salmon. Simply soak some fresh salmon in the marinade for 5 or 6 minutes before cooking in a hot, dry pan for 2 minutes on each side. Serve with rice, rice vinegar and spring onions for a simple and delicious Japanese meal.
Russia – Salmon Coulibiac
Coulibiac is a type of pirog. Pirog dishes are essentially pastry cased pies, and are one of the most popular dishes in Russia. Variations on the pirog are eaten all across Eastern Europe. Coulibiac usually refers to a pirog made with fish. Sturgeon (including the spinal marrow) is the traditional filling, but many Russians prefer to use salmon as it is far more readily available and often more flavorful. A typical coulibiac recipe also contains rice, mushrooms, eggs and dill. A proper coulibiac does take a bit of time and effort to perfect, but it can form a wonderful centerpiece for a party or special family meal.
Scandinavia – Cured Salmon
Gravadlax – or cured salmon – is a Scandinavian classic popular in Norway and Sweden. Cured salmon is technically raw. The ‘cooking’ is done by exposing the flesh to acids, and the salmon internal temp remains cold. Michelin Star chef (and possibly the most famous culinary professional in the world) Gordon Ramsey recently shared his recipe for Gravadlax with BBC Good Food. He uses a citrus and salt mixture to cure the fish. Make sure to always use extremely fresh salmon when preparing a raw dish. Raw salmon should be handled extremely carefully. Be warned that fish borne diseases are occasionally found in salmon – although this is not particularly common.
Turkey – Za’atar Baked Salmon
Turkey might not be famous for salmon dishes, but there are plenty of great recipes popular in Turkey that use the fish. Vidar Bergum’s flavor packed Za’atar baked salmon is an easy to make main meal. Za’atar is a popular Middle Eastern spice mix that is incredibly versatile.
It contains za’atar herbs (a wild mountain herb similar to oregano), sesame seeds and sumac. The gentle acidity and depth of the spice mix slowly seeps into the salmon flesh as it is cooked. Delicious!
Speak Your Mind