A Japanese-inspired dish from our Japanese Fire Cooking Masterclass with Chef Kate Fortescue. Sweet-savoury miso salmon pairs beautifully with furikake-style hijiki rice, all cooked effortlessly in the Charlie Oven.
Ingredients (Serves 6)
Salmon or Trout
- 1 side of salmon or trout (about 1kg) or 6 fillets (150–200g each)
Miso Marinade
- 500g red miso paste
- 125g sugar or honey
- 50g sake
- 50g mirin
Hijiki Rice
- 450g Japanese short-grain rice
- 520ml dashi
- 20g dried hijiki
- 2 large carrots, julienned
- 8 shiitake mushrooms, dried
- 1 cup edamame (fresh or frozen)
- 40ml soy sauce
- 40ml mirin
- 25ml sake
- 1½ tsp salt
- Spring onions, finely sliced, for garnish
Optional Sauce
- Remaining marinade
- ½ cup dashi
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- Juice of ½ lemon
Charlie Oven Setup
- Light a pile of good quality lump charcoal (about half a football’s worth).
- Bring the oven up to 200°C (390°F).
- Place a casserole dish with the rice mixture on the top rack.
- Roast the salmon or trout on a rack in the middle of the oven.
Method
1. Marinate the fish
Mix the marinade ingredients into a smooth paste. Coat the salmon or trout generously, cover with cling film, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (ideally overnight).
2. Prepare the rice
Wash and rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear. Soak for 25 minutes. Soak the dried hijiki and shiitake mushrooms in cold water for 25 minutes. Slice the rehydrated shiitake finely. Mix the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt until dissolved.
3. Assemble the rice
Drain the rice and put it in a thick casserole dish. Pour the dashi-soy mixture over the rice. Layer the carrots, hijiki, and edamame on top (do not stir). Cover with a tight-fitting lid.
4. Cook the rice in Charlie
Place the casserole on the top rack of the oven and cook for about 25 minutes. Check the rice is tender, then remove from the oven and leave with the lid on for at least 10 minutes to finish steaming.
5. Cook the salmon or trout
Scrape off excess marinade, leaving a thin layer on the fish. Place the salmon or trout on a rack in the middle of the Charlie Oven. Roast for 20–30 minutes, depending on thickness. The fish should be just cooked through but still slightly pink in the centre.
6. Make the sauce (optional)
Put any remaining marinade into a pan with ½ cup of dashi. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce and lemon juice. Use as a sauce for the fish.
7. Serve
Spoon the rice into bowls, scatter with sliced spring onions, and top with the salmon or trout. Serve with a drizzle of the optional sauce or a simple yoghurt-based sauce if preferred.
Why cook this in Charlie?
Cooking the salmon and rice together in Charlie makes this a one-oven feast. Roasting the salmon on a rack in the middle of the oven gives it even heat from all sides and just the right kiss of charcoal smokiness, while keeping the fish moist and tender. At the same time, the rice cooks gently in a sealed dish on the top rack, absorbing the dashi and aromatics while taking on a subtle fire-cooked depth of flavour.