KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — The rainy evenings have made many of us reluctant to head out at night. There is food delivery, of course, but the inclement weather often means longer waiting times.
Why not cook at home, with a few simple ingredients?
This is the entire premise of my Weekend Kitchen series, after all, though I will be the first to admit some weekends it feels as though I’m raiding my pantry in search of a miracle.
Fortunately this weekend, my humble fridge offers something more substantial in the form of salmon fillets. I am thinking of a salmon don, but perhaps a version with a bit more gusto.
How about a spicy and tangy marinated salmon rice bowl? The raw salmon is basically “cooked” by the acids in the citrus of choice in the soy sauce based marinade, which in turn “sauces” the steaming hot white rice.
Sounds absolutely tempting, no?
For those who aren’t fans of raw fish, another way to serve the salmon is to grill or pan sear it first. I learned this quick swap at Ebony & Ivory Coffee in Cheras, where there is an option to enjoy their popular salmon don with grilled salmon instead of freshly cubed salmon sashimi.
It’s an easy switch — and a reminder you are in control of your own kitchen at home. Do whatever you like, tweak as necessary, find creative substitutes, and savour the results!
Given I’m trying to gain more lean muscle mass (helpful for overall health as one gets older), I decide to add eggs for an extra boost of protein. Rice, eggs, salmon — it’s about layering the textures and flavours.
There are many ways to marinade the salmon — from traditional shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) to a sticky-sweet teriyaki glaze. Consider non-Japanese approaches too: honey balsamic vinegar, fiery jalapeños and fresh green limes, garlic and herbs, Dijon mustard with maple syrup... the list is endless.
Here I have employed julienned ginger, lemon zest (I had used the juice for another recipe; no point wasting the skin!) and sesame oil elevate the basic soy sauce marinade. Tangy and aromatic.
To add pungency and heat, you mustn’t forget sliced garlic and red chillies. Even with the marinade, a salmon rice bowl can still be a mild-tasting dish, especially for local palates used to stronger flavours.
Complete the picture with a few sheets of nori (dried seaweed). What you end up with is a bowl of comfort food. Easy enough to assemble in your own home, which really is the very definition of comfort, surely?
MARINATED SALMON RICE BOWL
A salmon don or salmon rice bowl is, at its most basic, a bowl of hot steamed white rice topped with slices of sashimi-grade salmon.
How you slice the salmon is entirely up to you: some prefer thick slices, others like the aesthetics of cubes. I enjoy the former method, the better to see the striations of the fish.
Whichever style you go for, it helps to freeze the block of salmon for about 10 minutes before slicing. This firms the flesh up, making it a breeze to cut into the shapes you desire.
To marinate the salmon, place the salmon in a container and pour your marinade over the fish. Cover with a lid and place in the fridge. Allow the flavours to steep into the salmon for at least 30 minutes.
Alternatively, if you decide to cook the salmon (grilling, pan searing or even baking), drain any excess marinade liquid and pat the slices dry with some kitchen paper towels before cooking. Otherwise you might just end up with a lot of splatter on your pan or in your oven!
Don’t throw away the extra marinade though; reserve it and use as a sauce to pour over the rice and salmon.
Ingredients
100ml light soy sauce
1 small piece of ginger, julienned,
1 lemon, zest only
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2-3 red chillies, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
200g sashimi-grade salmon
Neutral oil, for cooking
3 medium eggs
Few sheets of nori (dried seaweed)
Toasted white sesame seeds (optional)
Method
Mix the ingredients for the marinade (light soy sauce, julienned ginger, lemon zest, sesame oil, garlic, red chillies and black pepper) together in a bowl and set aside.
Cut the sashimi-grade salmon into your preferred shape (thick slices or cubes) and transfer to a container. Pour the marinade over the salmon and cover with a lid. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat up a non-stick pan and add a thin layer of oil. Once the oil is shimmering but not smoking, add your eggs. Cover with a lid to allow some steaming to occur, speeding up the cooking process. Once ready, remove from the heat and set aside.
Scoop steamed white rice into a large bowl. Top with the fried eggs. Insert a few sheets of nori into the side of the rice.
Layer the marinated salmon slices on top of the eggs and rice. Pour any extra marinade (after removing the ginger and lemon zest) over the salmon to serve as the sauce.
Garnish with toasted white sesame seeds, if desired, and serve immediately.
For more Weekend Kitchen and other slice-of-life stories, visit lifeforbeginners.com.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
