Locally sourced, seasonal fish is the MO at The Fishmonger’s Son, a fishmonger in Melbourne’s Carlton North run by, well, a fishmonger’s son. Second-generation fishmonger Anthony Yotis and his partner Laura di Florio Yotis are purveyors of fresh seafood, and their new cookbook The Fishmonger’s Son is dedicated to doing it justice in an array of recipes including prawn and cray rolls, salmon gravlax, ricotta and crab ravioli with tomato sugo, and swordfish stir-fry.
You’ll want very fresh, good-quality fish for this recipe – the pair say fresh salmon shouldn’t have any odour. “This super-nourishing bowl is perfect for lunch or dinner,” write Yotis and di Florio Yotis. “Our sushi chef, Shirow, prepares salmon in the Japanese method for us to sell in the store. Traditionally, the salmon is marinated in miso for five to seven days, but if you don’t have that much time, two to three days will work too.
“We serve this rice bowl with whatever vegetables we have on hand and that’s the beauty of it – you can create this from what you have with rice and salmon as the base.”
The marinated salmon can be frozen for up to one month.
The Fishmonger’s Son’s miso-marinated salmon and veggie rice bowls
Serves 2
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 24–48 hours resting time
Cooking time: 18 minutes
Ingredients
2 salmon fillets (300–400g total), skin on
Salt flakes, for salting
250g white miso
1½ tbsp cooking rice wine or sake
2 tsp soy sauce
1½ tbsp mirin
2 tsp brown sugar (or honey)
Steamed white rice, to serve
50g edamame, shelled and steamed, or thawed if frozen
1 bunch of broccolini, steamed
Togarashi seasoning or sesame seeds, to serve
Soy sauce, to serve
Method
Start by lightly salting the fish, then set it aside in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will draw out any moisture.
In a medium bowl, combine the miso, cooking rice wine, soy sauce, mirin and sugar.
Once the fish is ready, pat it dry with paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Pour the marinade into a large shallow dish or plastic container.
Add the fish to the container and turn it over to coat each piece evenly.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for 24–48 hours.
Halfway through the marinating time, remove the fish and set aside, re-mix the marinade in the dish, then place the salmon back in (turned over), ensuring it is all well coated.
When you are ready to cook the salmon, preheat the oven to 180°C (conventional) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place the salmon on the prepared tray, skin-side up, and bake for around 18 minutes, or until the salmon is browned and sticky. Allow it to cool before flaking.
In the meantime, prepare two bowls with steamed rice and place the vegetables on top. Add the salmon, some togarashi or sesame seeds and soy, then serve.
The Fishmonger’s Son by Anthony Yotis and Laura di Florio Yotis, published by Plum, RRP $44.99, photography by Mark Roper.
