Salmon is the lifeblood of British Columbia, the province in Canada where I grew up. It permeates everything – the history, culture, mythology, ecology, and economy. It feeds the people, the bears, the soil itself. It attracts tourists and sends them home with suitcases full of salmon products. Schoolchildren in BC learn about the five types of salmon – coho, sockeye, pink, chum, chinook – study their life cycle, and take school trips to salmon hatcheries and canneries. No food is more symbolic, prevalent, and universally valued. The West Coast of Canada is the salmon capital of the world.
Being raised in a Jewish family, Adam is pretty keen on salmon himself. The three of us were enthusiastically eating salmon on a weekly basis, until Little Miss Oily Fish Hater entered our lives. No matter how it’s cooked or served, she just can’t abide the taste of salmon.
For the most part, we eat as a family each evening. This can mean eating early, eating late, or eating fast. It doesn’t always happen but it’s a good ambition. So whenever Lyra’s eats at a friend’s house, my thoughts turn to salmon. This sake-soy marinated salmon is juicy, tender and deliciously caramelised when cooked.
Sake-soy marinated salmon
(serves 4)
- 2 Tb soy sauce
- 2 Tb sake
- 1 tsp honey
- 4 salmon fillets
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- Whisk the soy sauce, sake and honey together in a shallow dish.
- Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towel, the place them in the marinade. Turn the fillets to coat all sides, then leave them to stand (flesh side down) from 15 minutes to up to an hour.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and fry for about four minutes, until golden brown.
- Turn the fillets, and fry for an additional couple of minutes, or until cooked through.
- Transfer the fillets to a warm plate, then add the marinade to the frying pan. Turn the heat to high, and cook for a couple of minutes until reduced by half.
- Drizzle the salmon fillets with the sauce and serve.
Ten More Bites 
As a West Coaster and loving it, I am pleased to find a new recipe for salmon. Might even be tonight’s dinner. Not to brag, but we still have about 20 lb. or more of salmon in the freezer.
I’m very envious…:-)
I recently watched a Nova or Frontline on PBS on salmon & what a humongous industry it once was & due to a number of factors has become a shell of what it was. Their influence was wide and diverse. It has since slowly began to turn around. One of the most interesting parts of the program was the trickle-down effect to other animals and eventually the economy.
That sounds really interesting — would like to see it sometime…