Broiled Salmon and Salmon Onigiri (Rice Ball)

★ Broiled Salmon ★

To Broil (recommended)

1. Preheat the broiler* with a rack placed about 6 inches (15 cm) away from the top heating element (in the center of the oven) for 5 minutes. When broiling, you don‘t control the temperature in the oven; instead, you control the distance between the broiler and the surface of the food. It‘s similar to using hotter and cooler zones on your grill. *Broiler settings: Low (450ºF/232ºC), Medium (500ºF/260ºC), and High (550ºF/288ºC). I usually use Medium (6 inches away) or High (8 inches away).
2. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleaning. Place 2 skin-on salmon fillets on the foil, skin side up (for crispy skin). Broil the salmon on Medium or High for 8–10 minutes. Please remember the cooking time varies depending on the thickness of the fish and the distance between the broiler and the food. Japanese salted salmon is cooked well done (more dry and flaky). You do not need to flip it.

To Bake (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218ºC) with a rack placed in the center. Bake the salmon on parchment paper for 10–12 minutes. Japanese salted salmon is cooked well done (more dry and flaky).

To Serve and Store

1. Mix 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp yuzu juice (extract) and divide among individual small plates or dipping bowls. Dip the salmon in the sauce to enjoy. It goes very well with white rice. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. Or, use the broiled salmon to make Salmon Onigiri (recipe below).

★ Salmon Onigiri (optional) ★

1. First, make your steamed rice. Once it‘s done, transfer 4 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice to a large bowl. Please note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked white rice. See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
2. In a nonstick frying pan, heat 2 tsp neutral oil. Remove the bones and skin of 2 fillets broiled salmon and add the fish to the pan. With a wooden spatula, break up the salmon into smaller pieces.
3. To the pan, add ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice), 1 Tbsp sake, 2 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds, and 5 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba). Mix all together.
4. Pour the mixture into the bowl of cooked rice. Mix all together.
5. While the rice is still warm, make the onigiri rice balls with wet hands. For step-by-step photos and instructions, see my Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls) post.

To Store

1. Onigiri (or any rice dish) gets hard when you refrigerate it. The cold air makes the rice dry and hard (which is perfect for fried rice). I don‘t recommend making onigiri ahead of time. But if you really need to, my trick is to wrap the onigiri with thick kitchen towels and store them in the refrigerator. The onigiri will be cool and safe, but should not be cold.