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Japanese-Style Rice with Flaked Salmon and Shiitake Mushrooms (Sake to Kinoko Takikomi Gohan)

Japanese-Style Rice with Flaked Salmon and Shiitake Mushrooms (Sake to Kinoko Takikomi Gohan)

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    50 minutes
  • Active time plus cooling
    20 minutes active
  • Rating

This recipe is our version of a dish we learned from Elizabeth Andoh. The salmon here is thinly sliced and marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sake and mirin, and it serves more as a flavoring for the rice than as a feature protein. After the fish marinates, the soy mixture is repurposed as a seasoning for the rice as it steams. Layering the salmon slices onto the rice after cooking and giving the rice a final quick burst of medium-high heat ensures the fish doesn’t dry out. If you like, serve the rice with lemon wedges and additional soy sauce.

Tip

Don't use a saucepan with a loose-fitting lid. For the rice to cook properly, the lid must fit securely. If the lid has a vent hole, plug it with a bit of foil to prevent steam from escaping.

Ingredients
  • ¼

    cup soy sauce

  • 3

    tablespoons sake

  • 1

    tablespoon mirin

  • 1

    6-ounce skinless salmon fillet

  • 2

    cups Japanese-style short-grain white rice, rinsed well and drained

  • 4

    ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

  • 3

    scallions, thinly sliced on bias, whites and greens reserved separately

  • Kosher salt

Step 1

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sake and the mirin.

Holding your knife at a 45-degree angle to the cutting board, cut the salmon crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick slices. Add to the sake mixture and gently toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Step 2

In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, mushrooms, scallion whites, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1¾ cups water. Drain off the salmon marinade into the rice; return the salmon to the refrigerator. Cover the rice and bring to a boil over high; this should take about 5 minutes. Reduce to low and cook for another 5 minutes.

Step 3

Without lifting the lid, remove the pot from heat and let stand for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes. Uncover and arrange the salmon slices in an even layer on the surface of the rice. Cover and cook over medium-high until the salmon begins to turn opaque at the edges, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until the salmon is fully opaque, another 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 4

Run a silicone spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the rice. Gently lift and fluff the grains, flaking the fish and mixing it into the rice. Make sure to scrape along the bottom of the pan. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with the scallion greens.

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