1 October 2026
Welcome friends. Here we are, just past the fall equinox. This time of year, I look back at summer and try to get myself ready for fall. The image is a flower garden at the fieldhouse near my apartment. Every spring, it starts as almost nothing. Over the spring and summer it becomes quite impressive and colorful. In late October it all gets cut down and cleared away.
I like to fix salmon in the summer. In the past, I bought sockeye or coho salmon, but they haven't been as easy to find over the last few years and the cuts don't look that nice. In the past year or two, I've bought farm raised salmon and used a mirin glaze with it. I like to use farm raised salmon because it is more mild and, maybe, a bit more fatty. Salmon is not cheap, but I love it. More recently, I have paired it with a kale and quinoa salad. I'm still tinkering with the salad recipe.
This is a good weeknight dish. It comes together quickly and only takes 30 minutes to bake. The leftovers are good reheated or cold. I don't remember what I was buying mirin for, but I had it in my pantry. There are 2 types of mirin. I use mirin, which I buy at Whole Foods. The other type is Aji-mirin and it is an imitation mirin. I think the translation of Aji-mirin is "tastes like mirin".
Mirin Glazed Salmon
10 min. prep time | 30 min. bake time
Ingredients
serves 2
- 1 to 1 1/2 pound Atlantic Salmon, farm raised
- 1 Tbl olive oil
- 1 Tbl mirin
- 1/2 tsp tamari
- salt and pepper
Directions
preheat the oven to 400° F.
add the olive oil, mirin, and tamari to a small bowl and whisk together. The mixture will become thicker and cloudy.
line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and place the salmon on the parchment.
cut the salmon into two or three servings. Don't worry about cutting thru the skin. It is easier to cut thru once the salmon has baked.
bake the salmon for 30 minutes. Take the salmon out of the oven and run a knife down the cut sections to cut through the skin.