Name: Sous Vide Miso-Marinated Salmon
Total time: 6 h 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup white miso; 1/4 cup sugar; 3 tablespoons sake; 3 tablespoons mirin; 1 2-pound skinless salmon fillet , quartered; lemon wedges

Why This Recipe Works

Miso-glazed salmon has the potential to deliver succulent, umami-rich fish with a beautifully laquered exterior. But all too often the salmon ends up with an overcooked, chewy interior due to the extended broiling process typically necessary for the glaze. We wanted fish that was silky and moist but still had that contrasting caramelized crust. We were able to achieve this by cooking the salmon sous vide at an especially low temperature—110°F/43.5°C—before putting it under the broiler. This allowed us to keep the fish supertender even after that final blast of heat in the oven.

Before You Begin

If using wild salmon, set the water bath to 105°F/40.5°C. If using skin-on fillets, the skin can be easily peeled off after cooking. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

Whisk miso, sugar, sake, and mirin in medium bowl until sugar and miso are dissolved (mixture will be thick). Dip each fillet into miso mixture to evenly coat all sides. Place salmon in single layer in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and pour any remaining miso mixture over fillets. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or up to 20 hours.

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 110°F/43.5°C in 7-quart container.

Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until fillets are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 30 minutes and up to 45 minutes.

Adjust oven rack 4 to 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Gently transfer salmon fillets, skinned side down, to prepared sheet, leaving 1 inch between fillets. Broil salmon until deeply browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to serving platter and serve with lemon wedges.