Salmon Zuke Donburi (Marinated Salmon)

By Yukari Sakamoto, Author of Food Sake Tokyo

My husband is a Japanese fishmonger and we try and eat as much seafood as we can. Our preference is for sashimi or raw fish when we can. A lot of supermarkets in America are now selling sushi quality or sashimi quality seafood. You may have to ask your fishmonger as the product may not be in the seafood display case. A final word of advice, frozen seafood should not be shunned. The Japanese have been eating frozen seafood for a long time. Freezing technology is so advanced that the quality is excellent. When we purchase seafood the first day we will eat it as is. If we have leftovers we marinate it in mirin, sake, and soy sauce to eat the next day. This is called “zuke”.

Donburi, or rice bowls are  quick and easy meals. Other seafood that you can substitute into these recipes include crab, shrimp, squid, and any other sashimi quality seafood your fishmonger has. This recipe is made with thin slices of salmon. Another way to cut raw seafood is called “butsugiri” or rough chopping. The nori adds a nice minerality to the donburi.

Serves 2

2-3 cups of hot rice
12-14 slices of sashimi quality salmon
½ cup ikura (salmon roe)
2 sheets nori, shredded
2 Tablespoons mirin
2 Tablespoons sake
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
wasabi

In a non-reactive bowl combine mirin, sake, and soy sauce. Add salmon and marinate overnight.

Put a generous amount of hot rice in a large bowl. Layer with shredded nori. Top with slices of marinated salmon and ikura (salmon roe). Serve with wasabi.