Miso Butter Salmon and Vegetable Packets

Ingredients

• 4 skinless salmon fillets (About 6 ounces each; bring to room temperature before cooking)
• 0.25 cup white miso
• 2 tbsp sake
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger (Finely grated)
• 2 cloves garlic (Finely grated or minced)
• 8 oz green cabbage (Thinly sliced)
• 8 oz shiitake mushrooms (Stemmed and sliced)
• 3.5 oz beech mushrooms (Trimmed and separated; also called hon shimeji. If unavailable, use 12 ounces total shiitake mushrooms)
• 1 carrot (Thinly sliced)
• 4 scallions (Thinly sliced, white and green parts separated if desired)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (Divided among the packets after baking)
• 1 tsp kosher salt (For seasoning the vegetables; adjust to taste because miso is salty)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Tear off four large sheets of heavy-duty foil, each large enough to hold one salmon fillet and its vegetables with room to seal the edges.

2. 2

   Whisk the miso, sake, mirin, ginger, garlic, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Set the seasoning mixture aside.

3. 3

   Place the sliced cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, beech mushrooms, carrot, and scallions in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and toss thoroughly. Let the vegetables stand for about 10 minutes, until they begin to wilt and release a little moisture.

4. 4

   While the vegetables stand and the oven heats, season the salmon fillets lightly with pepper and let them come to room temperature. Do not use much additional salt because the miso mixture is already well seasoned.

5. 5

   Divide the wilted vegetables among the four foil sheets, arranging them in the center of each sheet. Place one salmon fillet on top of the vegetables in each packet.

6. 6

   Spoon the miso mixture evenly over the salmon and vegetables. Fold the foil tightly over each portion and crimp the edges closed so steam and juices cannot escape.

7. 7

   Arrange the packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily in the center and the vegetables are tender.

8. 8

   Carefully open each packet away from your face because a substantial amount of hot steam will escape. Dot each salmon fillet and its vegetables with about 1 tablespoon of butter.

9. 9

   Leave the opened packets to rest for about 5 minutes, allowing the butter to melt and combine with the miso-seasoned juices into a rich, brothy sauce.

10. 10

    Transfer the salmon, vegetables, and sauce from each packet to an individual bowl. Serve immediately.

Notes

The source describes this as a version of Japanese chan chan yaki from Hokkaido. Refrigerator-cold salmon can significantly change the cooking time, so allow the seasoned fillets to stand at room temperature while the vegetables wilt and the oven heats. Be very cautious when opening the packets because they retain hot steam. Beech mushrooms may be sold in 3½-ounce packages under the name hon shimeji; if unavailable, increase the shiitakes to 12 ounces.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Japanese-inspired
• baked
• foil-packet
• seafood
• high-protein
• weeknight dinner