Mirin Salmon

1. Gather all the ingredients.

To Marinate the Salmon (for 2 days)

1. Sprinkle 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt all over 4 skin-on salmon fillets and set aside for 15 minutes. Salt draws moisture from the salmon and removes the unwanted fishy smell.
2. Combine 4 Tbsp mirin and 1 Tbsp soy sauce in a ziplock bag. I try to reduce the amount of plastic as much as possible, however, there are pros of using a plastic bag here. 1) You can use a lot less marinade because a small amount of liquid can spread all over the salmon inside the bag. 2) When you remove the air from around the salmon, the low pressure causes suction and the marinade reaches the salmon more quickly. 3) This opens up the pores of the salmon so it soaks up the flavor rapidly. If you decide not to use a plastic bag, please double the marinade so it will cover the salmon.
3. After 15 minutes, rinse the salt and moisture that come from the salmon with 1 Tbsp sake. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels.
4. Put the salmon in the bag with the marinade. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for exactly 2 days (1 day is too short and 3 days are too long to keep the salmon in the fridge).

To Bake the Salmon (2 days later)

1. Take out the salmon from the refrigerator 15–20 minutes prior to cooking, and let is rest out at the counter until close to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425ºF (230ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Set the oven rack in the middle, 9 inches (23 cm) away from the top heating element.
2. Transfer the salmon fillets from the bag to the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Reserve the marinade for later use. I use an oven probe thermometer so the oven will let me know when the salmon reaches 145ºF (63ºC). I love it, no need to use a timer or guess if the salmon is done cooking! I use my Thermador oven‘s probe thermometer this time, but I also have and love Thermowork’s ChefAlarm.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the salmon is 145ºF (63ºC). The cooking time varies depending on the size and temperature of the salmon. You can also test for doneness by inserting a fork or knife in the salmon and twisting it a bit; the fish should be opaque and flake easily.
4. Remove the baking sheet out of the oven and change to a broiler setting. Keep the middle rack position.
5. Transfer the reserved marinade to a bowl and brush the marinade over the salmon fillets.
6. Put the baking sheet back to the preheated broiler and broil for 2–3 minutes, until nicely charred. Personally, I think the charred salmon tastes better, even though it might not look the best. If you go for the taste, I recommend adding more char to the salmon (just like the color of the bottom part of the fillet in the picture).

To Serve

1. Serve the salmon fillet with side dishes. Here, I served the salmon with steamed rice with furikake rice seasoning, sautéed greens with ginger, and roasted miso garlic cauliflower.

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for a month.