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Miso Butter Salmon with Rice

Miso Butter Salmon with Rice reads umami 8.0, richness 6.8 and salinity 5.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 54 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 9.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.0 · Richness 6.8 · Salinity 5.4 · Sweetness 4.7 · Funk & Ferment 4.4 · Marine & Briny 3.7 · Floral 3.7 · Allium 3.6 · Nutty 3.3 · Sourness 3.0 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.8 · Earthy 1.2 · Smoke 0.8 · Bitterness 0.8

What's in it (15)

• short-grain — 355 g
• salmon fillets — 680 g
• salt — 3 g
• oil — 14 g
• unsalted butter — 54 g
• miso paste — 44 g
• honey — 15 g
• soybean soy sauce — 15 g
• garlic — 6 g
• ginger — 5 g
• rice wine vinegar — 11 g
• scallions — 200 g
• dark sesame oil — 5 g
• sesame seeds — 5 g
• water — 532 g

Time & effort: about 54 min (26 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 124.4 kcal, 8.1 g protein, 5.1 g fat, 15.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Combine the rice and 2 1/4 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
3. While the rice cooks, pat the salmon very dry with paper towels and season both sides with the salt.
4. Let the salmon sit at room temperature 15 minutes so it sears evenly.
5. In a small bowl, mash together the butter, miso paste, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger until smooth; this is your miso butter.
6. Heat the oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat until shimmering. Lay the salmon skin-side down, pressing gently for the first 30 seconds, and sear undisturbed until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and the fillet releases easily, 4-5 minutes.
7. Flip the salmon, reduce the heat to medium, and spread about two-thirds of the miso butter over the tops of the fillets. Cook, spooning the melted butter over the fish once or twice, until the salmon flakes easily and reaches 130-135F in the center, 3-4 minutes.
8. Transfer the salmon to a plate and let rest 3 minutes; stir the rice vinegar into the remaining miso butter left in the pan to make a quick pan sauce.
9. Fluff the cooked rice with the scallions and sesame oil, then divide among bowls.
10. Top each bowl with a salmon fillet, spoon the warm pan sauce over the top, and finish with sesame seeds.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Sheet-Pan Miso-Glazed Salmon with Bok Choy — Japanese
• Sesame Ginger Salmon — Japanese
• Sesame-Crusted Seared Tuna — Fusion
• Salmon Poke Bowl — Japanese
• Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon — American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.