Easy Miso & Sesame Salmon With Sugar Snap Peas
Easy Miso & Sesame Salmon With Sugar Snap Peas is a delicious recipe that doesn’t require many ingredients. It is a wholesome dish packed with maximum flavour! If you have been afraid of preparing fish, fear no more, it is as simple as smothering the salmon fillets with miso paste, turning them in sesame seeds and pan-frying them.
What is Miso?
Miso is a salty paste made from fermented beans (traditionally soybeans), it has been a staple ingredient in the Japanese diet for thousands of years. It can also be made using other grains, such as fermented barley, rice or oats. Once they are mixed with salt and a bacteria called koji it results in a range of miso pastes.
Usually, I am not a big fan of soy products for various reasons including the fact that most soybeans are genetically modified.
So, what sets miso apart? Miso and similarly natto and tempeh, two other soy products are fermented sources of soy. When you ferment soybeans, you have a completely different product that yields a completely different set of available nutrients. Organically grown fermented soy products like miso, tempeh or natto are the only types of soy I recommend consuming. Occasionally I have some organic smoked tofu because I like the flavour but I keep it to a minimum.
The biggest benefit of miso is that it’s bursting with probiotics. Because miso is fermented, it’s filled with beneficial, live probiotic cultures. You can think of probiotics as the “good bacteria” that inhabit our gut environment and balance “bad bacteria” that we obtain from poor-quality foods, toxins in the environment, contaminated water, pollution and so on. Other great sources of probiotics are my Tempeh, Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Hash, Rye Sourdough Bread and Homemade Coconut Yoghurt.
What is the difference between White Miso, Yellow Miso and Red Miso?
White Miso
White miso is made from soybeans and a high percentage of rice which are fermented to create a light, slightly sweet taste. The smooth flavour of white miso makes it a popular choice in Japan, perfect for soups, dressings and marinades for fish.
Yellow Miso
Another mild type that’s fermented slightly longer than white miso, yellow miso ranges from light yellow to light brown, and is adaptable to most cooking applications, from soups to glazes.
Red Miso
Red miso is made from soybeans, barley and other grains with a long fermentation process to create a mature taste, rich in umami flavours. The intense, salty flavour of red miso makes it a great choice for hearty soups and marinades for meat and poultry.
The depth of colour with any particular miso can also tell you something about its flavour. Generally speaking, the darker the colour, the longer it’s been fermented and the stronger it will taste. Both yellow and red misos can sometimes be labelled “barley miso,” so check the actual colour of the paste for an indication of how mild or strong it is.
How to store Miso?
Miso paste should be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Lighter varieties will keep for about 9 months and darker ones up to a year. I recommend you check the sell-by date on the container, and try to stay away from GMO varieties with additives, like MSG.
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Your turn
Have ever tried miso and what you use it for? My Easy Miso & Sesame Salmon With Sugar Snap Peas is the perfect recipe to start with if you have never tried miso before. I’m looking forward to reading your comments.
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Easy Miso & Sesame Salmon With Sugar Snap Peas
Ingredients
- 9 ounces Wild caught Alaskan salmon fillets cut into 2 pieces
- 2 teaspoons Sweet White Organic Miso Paste
- Sesame Seeds
- Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- 8 Spring Onions
- 5 ounces Sugar Snap Peas
- 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- sea salt
Instructions
- Score the skin of the salmon, turn it over and brush the flesh with miso paste. Place the sesame seeds onto a plate and press the miso-covered side of the salmon into it.
- Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-sized non-stick pan. Place the salmon with the skin side down into the pan, reduce the heat and fry for about 6 minutes at low heat. Carefully turn it over and fry for another two minutes or until fully cooked.
- Meantime, trim the spring onions and cut them at an angle the same size as the sugar snap peas.
- Once the salmon is done move it to a plate and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Now, give your pan a quick wipe down and pour in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Over medium heat, add the sugar snap peas, spring onions, red wine vinegar and salt and toss it around for about 2 minutes.
- Enjoy it just like this or serve it with quinoa or brown basmati rice.
Nutrition
This salmon dish looks amazing, I have never had miso but I have to try it, thanks for the info on the different types of miso
Hi Albert, thanks for taking the time to comment. I just started using miso recently myself but I absolutely love it. Sometimes I make miso eggs which are also very tasty and easy to make. Let me know how you are getting on with the recipe.