A streamlined meal prep process to cook savoury miso-glazed salmon in less than an hour with plenty of leftovers for tomorrow.

Time: 2/5
Dinner on the table with leftovers to spare within an hour. A weeknight breeze.

Effort: 2/5
Toss fish in glaze, throw in oven. Easy cleanup. A true fire-and-forget meal prep with no marinating or fiddling beforehand.

The power of Miso

We recently acquired a tub of miso in an effort to recreate an amazing miso eggplant pork rice bowl we had in a Japanese place (which turned out great – a story for another time). However, it’s pretty strong stuff and we still have a lot of it left over. That led me to do some reading up and some culinary experiments, which led to this happy adventure that resulted in the Miso Glazed Salmon bowl.

I try to include salmon in my rotation for its health benefits, but it does get old having pan fried fillets every time. Miso is a fermented soybean product that is commonly used in Japanese cooking. Its delicate umami enhances the flavour of salmon without overwhelming it, and a honey miso glaze is great to keep things fresh and interesting to the palate.

After a previously failed attempt that turned out soupy and overcooked, I finally picked up the courage to stop overcrowding the baking sheet. To my delight, the result was moist, tender and properly glazed instead of swimming in a pool of fish juice. It did not even take more time like I feared – turns out, halving the amount of salmon going into the oven each time more than halved the baking time. (For reference, a batch of 300g salmon on my 8 x 10 inch sheet pan feeds about two people).

Salmon cooks fast enough that you shouldn’t have trouble making two batches before the rice is done. If you too suffer from Soggy Sheet Syndrome, do yourself a favour and divide the food you intend to roast into smaller batches.

I’m happy to report that the same marinade also works well for chicken. And if you get tired of the miso honey combo, you can always swap it out with a tried and true teriyaki glaze and cooking the salmon with the same method. Or if you want to experience salmon in a way like never before, try cooking salmon fillets sous vide.

Dramatis Personae

Salmon – about 150g/pax

I got mine already frozen and cubed up in the bargain bin at an absolutely delicious price. You can of course use fillets, but the cooking time would be a bit longer. The same technique would probably work for other fatty fish like cod or mackerel.

Miso – about a teaspoon/pax

There are various grades of miso, depending on how long it is fermented. Generally, the darker the colour, the stronger the flavour. If you are a beginner, go for a more multipurpose light miso.

Other elements of the glaze

I included honey and soy sauce for sweetness and saltiness, respectively. I made my glaze pretty sweet – almost 50/50 sweet and savoury. Spiciness and acidity might be good additions as well if I were to make it again in the future.

Vegetables – about 150g/pax

Always eat your veggies. Green beans are easy to prep, and gives the meal some crunch to complement the relatively soft texture of the salmon.

Executive summary

1. Get rice cooking
2. Make glaze and coat salmon
3. Roast salmon in the oven at 180c/350f for 10-20 minutes, depending on size
4. Stir fry vegetables while salmon is roasting
5. Assemble
6. Gloat in satisfaction while taking pics for insta

Play by play

Mix miso, soy sauce and honey in a roughly 1:1:1 proportion. Do it in a bowl big enough to also hold the salmon to save on doing dishes.

Deposit salmon and mix well. I could have drained and pat the fish dry, but ain’t nobody got time for that.

Spread out on baking sheet and put in the oven preheated at 200 degrees celsius. The foil is for easy clean up, and the baking paper prevents sticking. If you’re doing more than one batch, lay out each batch on a sheet (or if you only have one sheet, on separate pieces of aluminum foil) so they’re ready to go.

We have some time on our hands while the salmon is in the oven, which should be just enough time for the vegetables. Sweat garlic in oil.

Green beans follow the garlic into the pan, along with salt and a bit of sugar. Preserved mustard greens are always welcome to a bean party! Stir occasionally while working on the salmon.

Check on the salmon every few minutes. I pulled mine at the 10 minute mark, when it flakes easily. Fillets may take longer. Rotate in the next batch if you need to. Keep in mind that carryover heat will continue to cook the salmon – you can always put it back in if it is underdone, but there’s no saving over-doneness.

His and hers. Serve over rice with an optional sprinkling of sesame seeds for garnish. I don’t know about you, but I’m already looking forward to the leftovers.

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