Recipe Collection - Teriyaki Salmon Skewers

My favourite BBQ starter, sorry Chippolatas you’re last year’s flavour!

teriyaki

ˌtɛrɪˈjɑːki

noun

a Japanese dish consisting of fish or meat marinated in soy sauce and grilled.
a mixture of soy sauce, sake, ginger, and other flavourings, used in Japanese cooking as a marinade or glaze for fish or meat dishes.

I basically do a sweep of the ‘oriental section’ of my cupboard. You can buy Teriyaki sauce, but it’s more fun to make your own, and use up those bottles that are cluttering the cupboard and nearing their sell-by date.

I like to marinate the salmon for an hour-ish before cooking.

Suggested Ingredients:

Soy sauce – light or medium – a good glug
Rice wine vinegar – a medium glug
Oyster sauce – a dollop
Sesame oil – a few drops
Chilli sauce – as spicy as you like (I would go medium glug)
Lea and Perrins sauce – a few shakes
Sesame seeds – a sprinkle
Spring onions – one per fillet of salmon
Salmon – 1 x 1″ wide fillet/ person
Bamboo or metal skewers (soaked in water so as not to burn)

Method:

Pour yourself a nice light glass of wine – I’m thinking a lovely Sauvignon from the Loire (Henri Bourgeois does a good one!).

I like to cut the Salmon into cubes and then skewer it. A wonderful chef friend of ours (Elliot Johnson-Paul of JP Dining) pointed out that simply skewering the filet whole is a more practical way to do it and you are less likely to suffer casualties on the BBQ. Either way.

Mix everything liquid together in a bowl. You want enough to marinate the Salmon so you be the judge – go easy on the Oyster Sauce and be very careful with the sesame oil it can be incredibly overpowering! Leave for an hour or as long as you can and then skewer. I find going in from the skin side best. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Finish your glass of wine as now you need to head out to the BBQ and both hands would be useful – or one of those tables that you clip to the edge of the BBQ – the only problem with that is your wine might warm up, so just finish it and get outside! Anyway, they only take a moment to cook and you will want a different wine to pair with this dish.

When the BBQ grill is nice and hot, oil half an onion and give it a scrub – gets rid of the burnt sausage flavour and greases at the same time. Now pop your skewers on. I would give them a couple of minutes on each side. They want to have a good colour all around. So about 8 mins in all – no longer.

Take them off – using tongs as the skewer gets bloody hot (I’ve been there) and set aside for a moment. Serve with spring onion and some soy on the side to taste and of course a glass of wine! For this dish I would highly recommend a Sardinian Vermentino – Poderi Parpinello’s to be exact.