Slow-Cooker Miso-Poached Salmon with Sesame Soba Noodles
Salmon poached in fragrant miso, ginger and garlic is great served atop a bed of steamed rice, zucchini noodles or sautéed spinach tossed with toasted sesame oil, but even better over soba with plenty of green onions. Look for good-quality soba—thin, brownish noodles made from buckwheat, usually with wheat flour mixed in—at Asian grocers or well-stocked supermarkets.
Ingredients
For the salmon:
- 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) vegetable or fish stock or water
- 1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) white (shiro) miso
- 1 Tbs. peeled and shredded fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 to 2 1/2 lb. (1 to 1.25 kg) skin-on salmon fillet, cut into 4 or 6 equal pieces
For the soba noodles:
- 1 lb. (500 g) dried soba noodles
- 1 to 2 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce, or to taste
- 2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
- 2 tsp. canola oil
- 3 to 4 green onions, including tender green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
For garnish:
- 1 to 2 green onions, including tender green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
Directions
In a slow cooker, whisk together the stock, miso, ginger and garlic. Cover and cook on the low setting for 2 hours. The mixture should be hot and fragrant.
Using tongs, add the salmon fillets and turn to coat them evenly with the liquid, then leave them, skin side down, in a single layer. Cover and cook on the low setting until just barely opaque at the center and firm, about 30 minutes.
While the salmon is cooking, prepare the soba. Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the soba and cook, stirring frequently to prevent the noodles from sticking together, until just tender, according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, green onions and sesame seeds and toss to mix evenly. Transfer the noodles to a platter.
Using a slotted spatula, transfer the salmon to a cutting board; peel off and discard the skin. Arrange the salmon on the soba noodles. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl and set alongside the platter. Garnish the salmon and noodles with the green onions and the sesame seeds and serve. Serves 4 to 6.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Everyday Slow Cooking (Weldon Owen 2018)