with Green Tea Rice
I
n Japanese cuisine, green-tea rice, known as ochazuke, is a beloved comfort food. It can be as simple as
green tea poured over steamed rice, but it’s often embellished with flaked fish or other toppings to make
it more substantial. This version borrows from another Japanese classic: fish glazed with a miso-mirin
mixture and quickly broiled. Be sure to use loose-leaf green tea; it’s typically higher quality than the
bagged kind.
1 1/3 cups white rice, such as jasmine or shortgrain sushi
1/4 cup white miso
2 Tbs. mirin
1/2 tsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
4 5-oz. skin-on salmon fillets, preferably about 3/4
inch thick
1/2 cup loose-leaf green tea
Kosher salt
3 medium scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds; more for garnish
Cook the rice according to the package directions
and keep warm.
Position a rack 4 inches from the broiler and heat
the broiler on high.
In a small bowl, stir the miso, mirin, and rice vinegar with a fork to blend. Put the salmon fillets skin
side down on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet,
leaving space between them. Pat the salmon dry
and broil for 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, with a spoon, carefully spread the miso mixture over the top of the fillets. Broil until the salmon is just barely opaque in the center (use a paring knife to
check), 2 to 3 minutes more.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring 2-1/4 cups of water to a simmer. Put the tea leaves and 3/4 tsp. salt in a 4cup heatproof liquid measuring cup. Pour the hot water over the leaves and let steep for 1 minute.
Gently mix the scallions and sesame seeds into the rice and divide among four large shallow bowls, mounding it in
the center. Pour the tea through a strainer around each mound. With a spatula, lift the salmon from the baking
sheet, leaving the skin behind, and place on top of the rice. Sprinkle with more sesame seeds and serve immediately.