Ama-Shiozake is a staple Japanese dish featuring salmon. You can enjoy salmon with a mild, savory flavor, and it pairs perfectly with rice.
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What is Ama-Shiozake?
Ama-Shiozake is a dish made by sautéing salmon fillets that have been marinated in a mixture of dissolved salt and sugar. "Ama" means sweet, "Shio" stands for salt, and "zake" refers to salmon. This dish allows you to enjoy the flavor of salmon that is not overly salty, yet still well-seasoned, without compromising its inherent taste.
There is a similar dish known as "Shiozake" (salted salmon), which is prepared using only salt without any sugar. This dish tends to be quite salty, catering to different tastes. By the way, ama-shiozake is more popular in my neighborhood, while my parents prefer shiozake.
The meal that includes salmon dishes, a combination of 'rice, miso soup, either ama-shiozake or shiozake, side dishes, and Japanese pickles,' represents one of the most classic formats in Japan.
Health-consciousness and salt content
Originally, shiozake was commonly consumed in Japan. However, as consumers became more health-conscious, some people began to avoid the salted method, giving rise to ama-shiozake.
While shiozake is prepared by rubbing salt directly onto salmon fillets, ama-shiozake is made by marinating the fillets in a saltwater solution to prevent excessive salt concentration. As a result, ama-shiozake doesn't dehydrate and age salmon as intensely as shiozake does, but it allows you to enjoy the inherent flavor of salmon more fully.
Ingredients
- 4 (0.8 lb/360g) salmon fillets
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp salt
Step-by-step instructions
🕒 Total 12 hrs 7 mins
Step 1
Mix water, sugar, and salt in a ziplock bag, then add the salmon fillets. Let them marinate for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator.
Step 2
Add oil to a pan and cook the seasoned salmon fillets (ama-shiozake) over medium heat until they are browned on both sides and cooked through.
To Store
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe Card
Ama-Shiozake (Japanese Lightly Salted Salmon)
Ingredients
- 4 (0.8 lb/360g) salmon fillets
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp salt
Instructions
- Mix water, sugar, and salt in a ziplock bag, then add the salmon fillets. Let them marinate for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Add oil to a pan and cook the seasoned salmon fillets (ama-shiozake) over medium heat until they are browned on both sides and cooked through.
Notes
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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