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Miso Butter Salmon and Vegetable Packets

Miso Butter Salmon and Vegetable Packets

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 5, 2025

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour
  • Active time plus cooling
    30 minutes active
  • Rating

There are numerous approaches to making chan chan yaki, a Japanese dish of salmon and vegetables flavored with miso and butter. The dish originates in Hokkaido, but we learned the version that inspired this recipe at Kermis, a stamp-sized restaurant in Tokyo. Chef-owners Yasunobu and Yuko Namiki enclosed salmon fillets, vegetables and a few seasonings, including miso, in foil, then baked the packets. Once out of the oven, the fish and veggies were dotted with butter and allowed to rest until a brothy, rich sauce pooled in each packet. We use two types of mushrooms: meaty shiitakes and bouncy beech mushrooms. If you can’t find beech mushrooms—they’re sometimes sold in 3½-ounce packages and might be labeled “hon shimeji”—simply up the shiitakes to 12 ounces. The salmon, vegetables and sauce in each foil packet are transferred to individual bowls for serving.

Tip

Don’t forget to allow the seasoned salmon to stand at room temperature while the salted vegetables wilt and as the oven heats. Refrigerator-cold fillets can throw off the cooking time by a large margin. Also, use caution when opening the packets, as there is a good amount of steam trapped within.

Ingredients
  • 4

    6 ounce center-cut salmon fillets (1 to 1¼ inches thick)

  • Kosher salt and ground white pepper

  • 5

    cups thinly sliced (about ¼ inch) green cabbage

  • 8

    ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

  • 3½

    ounce package beech mushrooms, trimmed and separated (see headnote)

  • 1

    bunch scallions, 2 reserved for garnish, the remainder cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 2

    tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2

    tablespoons mirin

  • 2

    tablespoons sake

  • 2

    tablespoons white or red miso

  • 1

    tablespoon packed brown sugar

  • 3

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 evenly sized pieces

  • Lemon wedges, to serve (optional)

Step 1

Season the salmon fillets with salt and white pepper; let stand at room temperature until ready to use. In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, both types of mushrooms, the cut scallions and 1 teaspoon salt, gently rubbing the salt into the vegetables until they begin to feel moist. Let stand 15 minutes, tossing occasionally. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, whisk the soy, mirin, sake, miso and sugar.

Step 2

Cut four 12-by-18-inch sheets of foil. Divide the cabbage mixture evenly among the sheets, placing it in the center of each, leaving a couple of inches of space along the long sides. Nestle a fillet into each portion. Drizzle the salmon and vegetables with the soy-miso mixture, about 2½ tablespoons per packet. Seal each packet by bringing together the 2 short edges of the foil and folding the seam a few times, tenting the foil slightly, then fold each open end a few times to seal. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 3

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Open 1 packet at the top seam, being careful to avoid the steam that will be released. Drop 1 tablespoon butter into the packet, then re-close; it’s fine if the seal is not secure. Repeat with the remaining packets.. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the remaining 2 whole scallions.

Step 4

To serve, open each packet. Using tongs, transfer the salmon and vegetables to individual bowls, then pour the juices in the packet over the top. Sprinkle with the sliced scallions. If desired, serve with lemon wedges.

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