Shiozake, also known as Japanese Salted Salmon, is found all over Japan. Most famously as part of a Japanese breakfast, and is also great in lunch boxes or as onigiri filling! It’s packed with flavour and nutrition which makes it a perfect addition to a breakfast or lunch.
Learning how to make shiozake was one of the best things I’ve done, ever? When I visited Japan in the summer holidays, my Grandma would cook up a traditional Japanese breakfast for me and my sister.
The smell of the shiozake being grilled would waft through to our room and lure us out of our lie-ins. Now every-time I cook my homemade shiozake, I’m reminded of those summers and my Grandma.
What is Shiozake?
Shiozake is a fillet of salmon that has been salted and cured over a period of time. This method was traditionally used as a way to preserve fish before refrigeration, but still today, you will find salted salmon everywhere.
Usually you use 5% of the Salmons weight. So if you had 300g of salmon fillets, you would use 15g of salt. If percentages confuse you, the formula to work out 5% of 300 is:
5 divided by 100, times by 300 which equals 15. (5/100*300 = 15g)
Ingredients for Shiozake (Japanese Salted Salmon)
- Salmon fillets. You can use any fresh salmon, I like to buy a whole fillet and slice it up.
- Sake. Sake neutralises some of the fishy smell and helps tenderise the salmon.
- Salt. Salt is used to preserve and flavour the salmon. It will draw out a lot of moister from the salmon which gives it a firm texture and more concentrated flavour.
What to eat with Japanese Salted Salmon?
This salmon is delicious as part of a Japanese breakfast which typically includes miso soup, a bowl of hot rice, some Tamagoyaki and a bit of natto – if you’re into it!.
Another way to eat this salmon is to crumble it into flakes and use it as onigiri filling, or to make things easier, mix it into the rice and then make into onigiri.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it will reduce the effectiveness of the preservation. Luckily we all have fridges and freezers these days – right? – so you don’t have to worry about that. I recommend the minimum amount of salt to be 3% of the salmons weight.
If you’re eating it within 2 days of making it, it’s okay to keep in the fridge, but keep the expiration date in mind. If you’re planning on making a batch of it, freezing is a great option. Use cling film to wrap the individual fillets and keep in the freezer.
Traditionally it is cooked under a grill, but you can also cook it on a pan or in the air fryer.
Shiozake (Japanese Salted Salmon)
Ingredients
- 300 g salmon fillets (see notes)
- 1 tsp sake
- 15 g salt
Instructions
- Pour the sake over the salmon, make sure it is well coated and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Dry the fillets off with the kitchen paper and lay on a chopping board ready to be salted.
- Prepare a container by laying down a sheet of kitchen paper.
- Start sprinkling the salt onto the fillets, making sure the whole thing is thoroughly coated. Do this until you have no more salt left.
- Start layering the fillets into the container. Once the bottom layer is full, lay down a piece of kitchen paper over the fillets and create a second layer. Do this until you run out of salmon.
- Leave it to cure for between 12-48 hours.
- Cook depending on your preferences – you can grill, pan fry or air fry.
- To store, please refer to the FAQ section.
