Lemony Miso Salmon

I am completely addicted to this lemon and miso dressing at the moment. So much so that I’ve been making it by the bottle and keeping in the pantry ready to add a zesty freshness to salads, vegetables, fish – whatever I’m cooking really. It’s soo soo good!

If you haven’t used miso paste before, it’s really worth experimenting with. Like soy sauce it adds those super tasty complex savoury (umami) flavours that takes food from OK to absolutely delicious. See here for more ideas for using your miso.

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Lemony Miso Salmon

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons white miso paste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 salmon or other fish fillets
• 1 bag salad leaves

Instructions

• Combine miso and lemon juice in a jar or small bowl until smoothish. Whisk in olive oil. Taste and season if needed – a little more miso or lemon.
• Rub fish with a little oil and pan fry or BBQ for about 3 minutes each side on a medium high heat, or until you’re happy with how it’s cooked.
• Divide salad and fish between two plates and drizzle over the lemony miso goodness.

Variations

no miso – soy sauce is a good substitute.

big batch of dressing – mix 1/2 cup lemon juice with 2 generous tablespoons white miso paste until smooth. Gradually mix in 1 cup extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust if needed. Store in a bottle in the pantry for a month or so (if it lasts that long!).

vegetarian – toss the dressing onto grilled veggies – think eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette) and peppers and serve with some goats cheese, feta, poached eggs or toasted almonds for extra protein. The dressing is also wonderful on cooked lentils.

extra lemon kick – add the finely grated zest of your lemon.

carb-lovers / more substantial – serve with steamed rice or cooked rice noodles.

more substantial (low carb) – macadamias. Beautiful broccoli.

different fish – great with most fish so don’t feel the need to stick to salmon.

extra layer of flavour – marinate the fish in half the dressing for an hour or so before cooking. Use the remaining half to dress the salad.

paleo (grain, legume & dairy-free) – just skip the miso or use lemon mayo instead.

Problem Solving Guide

bland – more salt! More lemon. Next time try a different fish supplier.

too dry – overcooked fish. Next time get it out earlier. For now the sauce will help.

too salty – miso does add a lot of salt. The best solution is dilution so add more lemon and olive oil to the sauce and then save the extra sauce for another meal (it’s wonderful on veggies or any protein).

sticking to the pan – next time oil the fish more generously. A non stick pan or well seasoned pan will help. For now allow the pan to cool so the fish releases.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

miso paste – unopened paste can be kept in the pantry, once open needs to be refrigerated.

olive oil – keep in the pantry.

lemons – will keep for a few weeks at room temp or for much longer in the fridge.

salmon or other fish fillets – freeze them.

salad leaves – are highly perishable. My first path would be to use them for another meal (salad for breakfast!) but if that isn’t possible you can pop them in the freezer. They will wilt down but can then be used anywhere you’d use wilted greens. At least this way they wont go slimey.

Prepare Ahead

Not really. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 1 week or can be frozen.