Early September is my favorite time of year. The gorgeous weather is bested only by the bounty at the market. I love how the baby seedlings and earnest shoots of spring and summer have blossomed and ballooned into fruits and vegetables in every color.
In this new salmon recipe, I’m giving summer corn and shishito peppers an opportunity to steal the limelight from salmon slathered with miso, honey and butter. It’s a riff on a dish from Hokkaido, Japan.
After setting a goal to learn more about Japanese cooking techniques in 2022, last December, I spent two spectacular weeks with friends in the country. There were many wonderful tastes: new-to-me shellfish, exquisite wagashi, half a dozen types of ramen, fresh tofu skin, plump gyoza, sweet potato soft serve. I could go on and on.
One day in Tokyo, hungry and wandering around solo, I popped into a small restaurant and impulsively ordered a dish from a digital kiosk based entirely on the photograph of the food. (Unfortunately, I don’t understand or speak Japanese.) Only after taking a bite did I ask someone what it was. “Chan chan yaki,” the man behind the counter said with a patient smile.
Later, I looked it up. It’s a dish from Hokkaido, the grassy, mountainous island prefecture in the north that is well-known as the heart of Japan’s dairy industry. At every hotel we stayed at in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the breakfast buffets featured little round packets of butter labeled as being from Hokkaido. I hoarded them, convinced that it was the best butter I had ever tasted — simultaneously light and rich, with a faint sweetness — determined to find a way to sneak some back to the states with me. (Alas, this was not to be.)
Cooks in Hokkaido use that butter in all sorts of ways — one of which is chan chan yaki, a homey dish of miso-butter salmon. Many cooks know that miso and salmon are an easy match. The salty fermented soybean or grain paste stands up well to the fish’s rich flesh. In Hokkaido, the miso gets blended with butter, creating a sauce with depth and umami that melts into the tender fish, no matter how it’s cooked.
In this spin on chan chan yaki, I’ve added honey and garlic to the miso-butter mix. I like to broil the fish on a sheet pan alongside corn kernels and sweet and sneakily spicy shishito peppers for a meal that takes me back to Japan — and makes summer linger just a little longer.
Sheet-Pan Salmon With Miso-Honey Butter
This speedy sheet-pan salmon relies on the winning combination of miso, honey and butter to flavor broiled fish and seasonal vegetables. In the summer, corn and shishito peppers are a fun, quick-cooking combination. If you enjoy pops of heat, add slices of a mildly spicy red chili, such as Fresno or cherry. Looking to make this in the fall, winter or spring? See substitutions, below. Though it’s optional, adding a touch of garlic to the sauce will give it depth. For a heartier meal, serve the dish with steamed rice or tender greens.
Make ahead: The miso-honey butter can be made and refrigerated up to 1 week in advance.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons shiro (white) miso, preferably reduced sodium
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated (optional)
- Olive oil
- Two (8-ounce) salmon fillets, preferably center-cut, skin-on or skinless, patted dry
- Kernels from 2 to 3 ears corn (generous 2 cups; see substitutions)
- 6 to 8 fresh shishito peppers (3 ounces total), stemmed and sliced into thick rings
- 1 Fresno or cherry pepper, stemmed and thinly sliced (optional)
- Freshly cracked black pepper
STEPS
- In a small bowl, use a fork to combine the miso, butter, honey and garlic, if using, mashing and stirring until a thick, smooth paste forms.
- If your broiler is on top of your oven, position a rack about 6 inches away from the element. Preheat the broiler to high. Line a large sheet pan with foil and grease well with olive oil.
- For skin-on salmon: Lay the fillets skin side down on the greased pan. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the miso-honey butter onto the top of the flesh of each fillet, then flip over so they are skin side up. (Reserve the remaining miso-honey butter for serving, if desired.)
- For skinless salmon: Lay the fillets on the greased pan and spread about 1 tablespoon of the miso-honey butter onto the top of each one.
- Scatter the corn, shishito peppers and Fresno or cherry pepper, if using, evenly around the salmon. Season with black pepper.
- Broil for 3 minutes, then check the ingredients. The corn and peppers should look a little blistered. Skin-on salmon should look crispy and lightly charred on top. Skinless salmon should look golden brown on top. The sides of the fillets should look opaque, though the centers may still be pink or medium-rare. If the fish and vegetables need more time, add 2 more minutes of broiling, then check again.
- Divide the fish and vegetables between two plates, and serve hot or warm, with any extra miso-honey butter on the side, if desired.
Substitutions: Not into salmon? Try this with sea bass. Vegetarian? Use slabs or cubes of extra-firm tofu. To make this dish vegan, use tofu instead of salmon and maple or agave syrup instead of honey. In place of corn, you can use cherry tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, shredded napa cabbage or frozen peas. Frozen corn can be substituted for fresh.
Nutritional facts per serving (1 fillet and 1¾ cups vegetables): 533 calories; 17g fat; 6g saturated fat; 45g carbohydrates; 341mg sodium; 120mg cholesterol; 53g protein; 4g fiber; 12g sugar
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.