Shiozake / salted salmon

Shiozake  (shiojake) in a few different levels of saltiness is readily available at stores in Japan. We make our own when we get fresh salmon and freeze it in smaller pieces. It is quite a versatile ingredient in many different dishes. You can control the salt content when you make your own.

<Ingredients>
Fresh salmon fillet/steak cuts
Salt (about 2% of salmon weight; 1 1/2-2 tsp salt for 300 g salmon)


<Directions>
1.

If using a fillet, cut into smaller pieces (1/2-2/3 postcard size for us).
If using steak cuts, slice or cut them in half, as necessary.

Sprinkle salt on front and back sides.

Cover and let sit in refrigerator for 1-3 days.

If not using soon, wrap individual pieces in plastic and freeze (photo). It will keep for a couple of months.

<Notes>

• The level of salt is for the so-called amajio [low-sodium] version.
• If using sea salt, reduce the amount, as it tastes much saltier.
• Benizake (benijake) or sockeye salmon is my choice when in season, but any salmon or steelhead works just fine. (King salmon with high fat content is not a good option, especially when using shiozake as an ingredient in other dishes.)
• Increase the amount of salt if you plan to keep shiozake in the freezer for more than two months.
• Desalination is recommended when you find your shiozake too salty or want to avoid taking too much sodium. See "shiozake no shionuki [desalination of salted salmon]" for how to get rid of excess saltiness and to improve the taste at the same time.
  

Recipes with shiozake

• Sake no kasuzuke / grilled salmon marinated in sake lees
  
• Shiozake no oroshi donburi / grilled salted salmon and grated daikon radish on steamed rice
• Shiozake to piiman no amazubitashi / grilled salted salmon and green pepper marinated in sweetened rice vinegar
  
• Shungiku, moyashi, shiozake no ohitashi / garland chrysanthemum, bean sprouts and grilled salted fish marinated in light broth
• Sakechazuke (dashi) / rice with grilled salted salmon in broth 
• Kasujiru / sake lees soup with salted salmon and root vegetables
• Konsai to shiozake no misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables and grilled salted salrmon
• Shiozake no oroshiae / grilled salted salmon with grated daikon radish

Try shiozake in the following recipes

• Sake no karaage marine / marinated deep-fried salmon (white wine vinegar version)
  
• Sumooku saamon to shungiku no mazegohan / steamed rice with smoked salmon and garland chrysanthemum
  
• Onigiri / rice balls (with grilled or microwaved shiozake)
• Sake no suigyoza / shuijiao boiled dumplings with salmon (with uncooked, grilled or microwaved shiozake)

(Last updated: February 26, 2015)