Crispy-Skin Salmon Teriyaki

One of the best cooking tips that I picked up from watching Take Home Chef was that when cooking salmon, you should always start with a cold pan, and never hot. That will give you perfectly crispy salmon skin. I tried this method and it totally worked! Crispy skin everytime, which is the main reason why we love to eat salmon, especially with sweet, salty and sticky teriyaki sauce. I usually make extra sauce and store it in the fridge, which comes in handy not only for grilled meats/seafood, but also for quick stir-fries, noodles or as a tasty drizzling sauce. Served with rice and some steamed vegetables, teriyaki salmon is a sure fire hit with the kids (and adults too)! We especially love the sauce on our rice!


Crispy-Skin Salmon Teriyaki

Ingredients

2 x 200g (7oz) salmon fillets, skin-on (preferably a thick and long rectangular piece)
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Teriyaki Sauce:
5 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
5 tbsp sake
5 tbsp mirin
1/4 tsp dashi stock powder (dashinomoto)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Method

Prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until the sauce is reduced by almost half and starts to turn syrupy. Transfer to a small bowl. It will thicken slightly upon cooling.

Wash the salmon, then pat dry. Rub a litle salt all over the skin. Place a non-stick frying pan on the stove and add the oil to the pan.  Place the salmon fillets skin side down into the cold pan, and then turn on the heat to medium-high. Cook the salmon for about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon) until the bottom half of the salmon turns pink and cooked. Check the skin to ensure it has crisped evenly, slightly browned or charred. If not, turn up the heat to high. Once the skin is firm and crisp, brush some teriyaki sauce over the top and sides of the fillets, and flip the salmon over to cook the other side. It should cook fairly quickly in about a minute, depending on whether you like it medium or well done. Turn the heat down to medium if it's too hot. Take care not to overcook the salmon. If the teriyaki glaze on the salmon starts to burn in the pan, add a splash of water to the pan. When it's cooked to your liking, transfer the salmon to a serving plate and drizzle the extra teriyaki sauce over. Serve immediately with hot white rice and steamed vegetables.