Remembering Favorites + Miso Salmon
If you love something, let it go — and then bring it back months later!
This week’s edition of CWD marks the two year mark from when I first told anyone about this newsletter1. Thanks to the five of you who have stuck with me since the very beginning!2
Back in the olden days, I didn’t ramble quite so much and kept the recipes relatively short. We did have some winners, however: roast chicken, mushroom risotto, herby polenta, and tomato sauce3. Looking back on the archive, it’s kind of interesting to see how things have evolved. No pictures, even more incoherent cooking instructions, links to finish out each post. It’s been a fun journey!
We didn’t come here to navel gaze, however: I think most of you came here to eat. Food is, of course, something I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about. What to eat, how to cook it, where to eat, how to replicate what I just ate. Walking into a specialty food store is like walking into a candy store; reading a menu, like reading a beach novel. It’s enjoyment. It’s fun. It’s the great connector, a community builder.
Often, Mrs. CWD and I will go on sprees of cooking the same thing — or riff on the same thing — almost weekly. You’ve probably seen this as the frequent allusions to roasted vegetables, reverse seared meat, and some variation on pork chops. For awhile, pre-Kiddos CWD, we were on a huge salmon kick. This was after we had wrapped up our North Channel Swim and we were trying to lose some of the blubber we had put on for insultation. We had salmon, mostly grilled on our deck in Beacon Hill, once or twice a week for most of the summer of 2019. Then, when Mrs. was pregnant with Kiddo, she developed an aversion to salmon, and even after the aversion went away, we never really picked it back up eating salmon on a regular cadence.
A few weeks ago, we were over at Auntie CWD and Steady’s. For dinner, they made fish tacos with salmon. For whatever reason, that kicked off a salmon renaissance4 on the CWD Ranch, and we’ve been having it fairly regularly since then. One of our go-to methods of preparation is with a miso-inspired marinade, broiled quickly. This meal can come together exceptionally quickly and is one of the easiest and most foolproof ways to make salmon I have found.
Let’s do it.
In a decent size mixing bowl5, combine some soy sauce, miso paste, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha. Stir well and then place your salmon in it, flesh side down.
Let the fish marinate while your oven pre-heats to 425(F)6. This would be a good time to roast some vegetables while the oven is preheating, make some rice, or water your plants7. When the oven comes to temp, lay the salmon skin side up on a sheet pan smeared with butter and throw it on the upper deck of the oven.
Switch immediately to broil and let the salmon rip for exactly five minutes. Take it out and serve with whatever accoutrement you choose.
There we go. Easiest salmon you’ll come across, and delicious, too. My only qualm with this meal is we never make enough salmon.
I don’t have too much else to add this week — in honor of reminiscing about the “good ol’ days,” we’ll keep this short, light, and finish with some links. We’re a week out from Memorial Day, one of my top three holidays8 and the official kickoff of summer. If you haven’t already, start working on your base tan, maybe do a couple extra pushups, and start thinking about corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes. It’s almost beach szn!
Play like a kindergartener [Inside Hook]
… and some practical advice on dieting. [WARKITCHEN]
The art of outdoor cooking [Huckberry]
… a primer on foraging [Men’s Journal]
… and the best camp stoves to prep your bounty. [GearJunkie]
I had been writing diligently each week for the preceding two months, working out the kinks. Just no one was listening.
In order: Freidaddy (this will be the real test to see if you actually read these emails!),
, The Roommates CWD (2), and Mrs. CWD.The original name for this newsletter was going to be “Red Sauce Only,” which you can read about here, in the very first official newsletter edition.
I won’t get to into the weeds on sourcing salmon, but whenever you can find it, I recommend getting wild caught Pacific salmon. If your grocery store or fish monger doesn’t have it, I’d recommend ordering online. Here’s a great list of direct-source fishermen from Bristol Bay in Alaska.
You should probably try to find one that actual fits your slab of salmon.
This isn’t strictly necessary, but I find that having the oven pre-heated before broiler is more consistent when you cook.
Or scroll mindlessly through your phone.
Along with Thanksgiving and Fourth of July
Looks amazing!
I am certain if you make the salmon, no matter how you make it, it is fantastic. I am also certain that if I make the salmon, no matter how I make it, it will not get any type of rave review. (Remember the salmon I prepared for the Rabbi?). Frightening.
I love you, and all your amazing talents keep blowing me away--mostly your love, devotion and mastery at being a husband, father, son, grandson, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin, nephew, and friend. You are a keeper!