A Japanese-inspired dish where salmon and vegetables are seasoned with a salty-sweet sauce of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic and ginger, and then grilled to perfection.
Yakitori-Style Salmon With Scallions and Zucchini
Yakitori is a Japanese dish in which boneless chicken pieces seasoned with salt (shio) and a soy basting sauce (tare) are threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled over a charcoal fire. This weeknight meal borrows the flavors of traditional yakitori and applies it to salmon and vegetables. A salty-sweet sauce of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic and ginger doubles as a glaze and serving sauce. Tossed with greens, the leftover salmon and vegetables make a nice salad the next day, and the sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup canola oil, plus more for greasing
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (from about 3 cloves)
- 1 tbsp minced ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
- ⅔ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup turbinado sugar
- 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 lb small zucchini (about 3), trimmed and sliced 1/8-inch-thick
- 8 scallions, trimmed, halved lengthwise, if large, and cut into 2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
- In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-low. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add 2/3 cup water, plus the soy sauce, sugar and vinegar, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and whisk into sauce. Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of sauce for basting, and transfer remaining sauce to a small bowl, for serving.
- Heat a grill, or a lightly greased cast-iron griddle or grill pan over medium. Season zucchini and scallions with salt and pepper and toss with 2 tablespoons oil. Thread onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in water or metal ones. Season salmon with salt and pepper and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Thread onto skewers.
- Grill, basting with sauce and turning every few minutes, until salmon and vegetables are caramelized and cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes for salmon and 12 to 15 minutes for vegetables. Serve with lemon wedges and reserved sauce for dipping.