Hokkaido Salmon Ikura Ozoni

Recipe by Chef Alan Wong

Serves 1 portion

Ingredients

3 oz Aysen Coho Salmon Filet Skin On (Item#: 455661 Freezer Door 13) (see sub recipe) 

2 T HPC Foods Ikura (Item#: 456228 Freezer Door 15) 

1 T Daikon Oroshi with Wasabi Paste (see sub recipe) 

2 pc Sato Grilled Kirimochi Rectangles (Item#: 422541 Front Entrance) 

2 inch pc Spinach Ohitashi, approx. Dime Size Diameter (see sub recipe) 

2 pc Pierport PDTO 16/20 Shrimp, Hot Water Blanched (Item#: 195142 Freezer Door 2) 

2 T Mustard Cabbage Quick Tsukemono (see sub recipe) 

1 Hydrated Family Foods Dried Shiitake Mushroom, cut in half (Item#: 73198 Aisle 4) 

10-12 oz Ozoni Broth (see sub recipe) 

Aysen Coho Salmon Filet Skin On

The Aysen Coho Salmon is available at ChefZone. It is convenient to use since the one filet in the package is skin on and scaled. The pin bones have been taken out and once you open the package it is ready to slice for cooking, resulting in very minimal loss. 

What I do after opening the package is to take a paper towel and wipe the fish dry. Then I slice the whole side in half lengthwise along the line that separates the belly and the top part of the filet. I take the top portion, leave the skin on and slice at a 45 degree angle starting from the head or widest side, approx. 1/2” thick. Slice however many portions you need and then use the rest of the salmon for other dishes. Of course you can cut portions from the entire package of salmon.  

I take a small pot of water and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil I take one filet of salmon or more, put it in the water for only five seconds and then take out and put into a bowl of ice water with ice in it. After five minutes in the iced water, take out and pat dry, the inside should still be raw. 

Daikon Oroshi with Wasabi Paste

Peel daikon and grate finely, add wasabi paste to the daikon while you are grating so it incorporates into the daikon, the color should be a light green. You can omit if you want. For me, I love the flavor of salmon ochazuke with wasabi so that combination works for me. The combination of daikon oroshi and cooked salmon is a popular combination. 

Spinach Ohitashi

This is simply blanched fresh spinach that is shocked in iced water and then squeezed together in a long log and then cut into two inch long pieces. The diameter for this one is about a dime, for other dishes it can be any size you want. 

Mustard Cabbage Quick Tsukemono

Separate the mustard cabbage stems and the green leaves with a knife. Cut the leaves into half inch squares and small dice the stems. Once cut, combine them in a bowl and sprinkle some kosher salt lightly over the top. Now massage the salt into the cabbage until it looks dark green. Let sit for thirty minutes, the salt will draw water out of the cabbage, then drain, squeeze the cabbage lightly, set aside. 

*I call this a quick tsukemono since it’s not fermented, it’s a simple salted pickle. 

Ozoni Broth

To start the ozoni broth, I first make a kombu dashi. 

Kombu Dashi

8 cups water 

1.5 oz Shirakiku Dashi Kombu Seaweed (Item#: 292729 Aisle 4) 

Soak kombu in water for two hours in a bowl. After two hours, pour soaked kombu and water into a pot and bring up to a boil, once it does, turn down to simmer for twenty minutes. Remove kombu, let water cool to room temp. 

*The amount of water can vary depending on how much you want to make or need. I would use this ratio of kombu to water as a guideline. I like to use a lot of kombu in relation to water when I make this because I like it strong, I can always dilute once made for certain dishes. 

Dried Shiitake Mushroom Water 

4 pc Family Foods Dried Whole Shiitake Mushrooms (Item#: 73198 Aisle 4) 

1.5 cups Boiling Water  

Pour boiling water over mushrooms in a bowl, let sit for one hour. Cut the stem off where the stem meets the cap. Cut the shiitake in half or quarters depending on the size. 

Ozoni Broth

4 pc Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (Item#: 114786 Freezer Door 61) 

Cut chicken into one inch cubes, rinse in water and drain, put into a large one gallon pot. To the pot, add the now cooled off kombu dashi and shiitake mushroom water. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer for about twenty minutes or until chicken is tender. Skim the debris that comes to the surface of the broth when it accumulates. 

1 pc Gobo, washed, peeled and cut into shavings or julienne 

1 med Carrot, washed, peeled, and cut into shavings or julienne 

1 small Daikon, washed, peeled, cut into slices about 1/4” thick, then cut in half to make a half moon 

Once the chicken is tender, add all the vegetables to the pot, simmer for about fifteen minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  

Once the vegetables are tender, I finish the broth with one tablespoon each of Mirin, White Soy Sauce and Sake. 

Takara Masamune Mirin (Item#: 177065 Aisle 5) 

Takuko White Soy Sauce (Item#: 79233 The Inspired Chef) 

To Serve and Plate

Grill the mochi for about five minutes before you add the salmon filets and shrimp into the pot gently. Let simmer for a few minutes, do not overcook. Better to do no more than four servings at a time so the pot doesn’t get too crowded. 

Ladle 10-12 oz of ozoni broth with some vegetables and chicken pieces in the bowl, now place two pieces of grilled mochi on the broth, lay one piece of salmon on top of the mochi. Place two pieces of shrimp on the side of the salmon and the shiitake mushroom pieces. On the salmon, place the daikon oroshi on top as well as the ikura. Place the spinach ohitashi on the bowl and then sprinkle the mustard cabbage tsukemono all around. Enjoy it while it’s hot! Itadakimasu! 

*The longer the mochi sits in the hot broth the more soft it gets, if you like that then ok, I like it a little firm so when it’s ready, it’s time to eat right away. Some prefer not to grill the mochi and heat it in the broth, which might get tricky if it gets really soft.