Description

This Salmon Teriyaki Rice Bowl has broiled salmon glazed with homemade teriyaki sauce, on a bed of sushi rice, with spinach and sliced avocados. It's topped with a festive confetti of toasted sesame seeds and nori.

Ingredients

Scale

For The Salmon:

1 pound salmon fillet cut into 4 thin portions (skin on is fine)

For the Teriyaki Sauce

3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup Mirin (rice wine)
1/2 cup sugar (white or brown)
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (optional)
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger (optional)

For The Toasted Sesame Nori Confetti:

1 8-inch square sheet of Nori, cut with a scissors into 1-inch strips. Stack the strips and cut crosswise into 1-inch by 1/4-inch confetti.
2 tablespoons of black or white sesame seeds, or a mixture of both

For the Sushi Rice:

2 cups sushi rice (short grain rice)
2/3 cup homemade seasoned rice vinegar (see ingredients below) or you can buy seasoned rice vinegar in the Asian section of your grocery store.

Ingredients for homemade seasoned rice vinegar (skip this step if you're using store-bought seasoned rice vinegar)

1 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt

For The Sautéed Spinach:

20 ounces fresh spinach, washed
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
Kosher salt

Garnishes:

1 bunch scallions, washed, trimmed, and sliced crosswise
1 Avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

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Instructions

Make the teriyaki sauce: In a small saucepan bring soy sauce, mirin, sugar, garlic (if using) and ginger (if using) to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Toast the nori & sesame seeds: Toast nori and sesame seeds in a hot skillet for a minute or two, stirring and tossing constantly just until sesame seeds start to get a little brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Make the sushi rice: Rinse the rice to remove excess starchy powder by putting the rice into a large bowl and covering it by an inch with water. Swish rice around with your hands. Pour off the cloudy water. Repeat 2 or 3 times more. Drain rice in a fine mesh colander and cook per package directions. (about 2 1/2 cups water per 2 cups rice and a 15 minute simmer, covered) Remove rice from heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
Make seasoned rice vinegar: (skip this step if using store-bought seasoned vinegar) in a small saucepan bring rice vinegar, sugar and salt to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring, until sugar and salt are dissolved. Transfer rice to a large nonmetallic bowl. Measure out 2/3 cup of seasoned rice vinegar and slowly pour it over the rice, while tossing and mixing it. Cover bowl with a clean cloth and set aside.
Cook the spinach: Heat 1 tablespoons sesame oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add spinach and 2 tablespoons water to the pan. Cover pan and leave it for 2 minutes. Uncover and stir. Spinach will be mostly wilted. Cook, stirring for about a minute more until it is completely wilted. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt. Remove from heat.
Cook the salmon: Preheat oven to broil and set the rack 8 inches from the top. Place salmon skin-side down on a foil-lined jellyroll pan. Pour 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce into a separate small bowl to use for glazing the salmon. Brush salmon with teriyaki sauce and cook for two minutes under the broiler. Pull salmon out of the oven and brush more teriyaki sauce on top. Return to the oven and cook for 1-3 minutes more, to your desired doneness. Better to undercook it slightly as it will continue to cook a bit even after it's out of the oven. Remove from oven.
Assemble rice bowls: Put rice and spinach in the bottom of a bowl. Lay salmon on top. (skin will peel off easily, if you prefer it skinless) Garnish with avocado slices. Sprinkle with scallions and nori-sesame confetti. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce. Repeat for each bowl.

Notes

Nutrition Note: This recipe makes a generous portion of rice and teriyaki sauce. You will likely have some left over. The nutrition label assumes you will be consuming all the rice and teriyaki sauce. For special diets, calories, carbs and sodium levels can be lowered substantially depending on the amount of rice and sauce you add when assembling the bowls.

Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Category: Lunch, brunch or dinner
Method: Broil and Sauté
Cuisine: Japanese