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Sesame Ginger Salmon

Sesame Ginger Salmon reads umami 8.2, richness 6.8 and salinity 5.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 15 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 9.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 8.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.2 · Richness 6.8 · Salinity 5.9 · Sweetness 5.2 · Nutty 4.4 · Marine & Briny 4.1 · Floral 3.9 · Allium 3.5 · Sourness 3.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.6 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Herbaceous 1.7 · Smoke 0.8 · Earthy 0.8 · Bitterness 0.8 · Heat 0.7

What's in it (14)

• salmon fillets — 680 g
• salt — 3 g
• black pepper — 1 g
• oil — 27 g
• soybean soy sauce — 44 g
• rice wine vinegar — 22 g
• honey — 30 g
• dark sesame oil — 14 g
• ginger — 15 g
• garlic — 6 g
• cornstarch — 5 g
• water — 30 g
• scallions — 200 g
• ground toasted sesame seeds — 15 g

Time & effort: about 15 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 129.9 kcal, 12.3 g protein, 7.1 g fat, 3.8 g carbs

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

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic to make the glaze. In a separate small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the water until smooth; set both aside.
3. Heat the neutral oil in a large nonstick or stainless skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon skin-side down and press each fillet gently with a spatula for about 10 seconds so the skin lies flat; sear undisturbed until the skin is deeply golden and crisp, 4-5 minutes.
4. Flip the salmon, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the flesh is opaque at the edges and the center reaches 125-130F on an instant-read thermometer, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the fillets to a plate skin-side up and tent loosely with foil.
5. Pour the soy-honey mixture into the now-empty skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and simmer, whisking often, until the glaze is glossy and coats the back of a spoon, 1-2 minutes.
6. Return the salmon to the skillet skin-side up, spoon the glaze over the top, and turn gently to coat both sides; warm through in the glaze, about 30 seconds.
7. Plate the salmon glazed side up and spoon any remaining glaze from the pan over the top.
8. Scatter with the scallions and sesame seeds and serve at once.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Sesame Ginger Glazed Cod — Fusion
• Sesame-Crusted Seared Tuna — Fusion
• Miso Butter Salmon with Rice — Japanese
• Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon — American
• Salmon Poke Bowl — Japanese

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.