Salmon, Broccoli, with Masago

(sake – salmon, broccoli, masago – smelt’s roe, mayonnaise)

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Salmon, Broccoli, with Masago

This mouth-watering side dish is a Domo original and has been served since Domo opened its doors in 1996. This side dish is made with lightly cooked sake (salmon) and broccoli tossed with Japanese mayonnaise and masago (smelt roe). Domo’s owner enjoys sharing his knowledge and culinary techniques with others and encourages the traditional and wholesome presentations found at Domo to be tried in other venues. With this side dish, it is important not to overpower the delicate flavors of the sake and broccoli with too much masago dressing. “Sometimes the simplest recipes can be the best way to enjoy certain foods,” says owner/chef Gaku Homma, “However, finding the best matches for simple ingredients can be a definite challenge.” The SALMON, BROCCOLI with MASAGO served at Domo shows that simplicity also requires inspiration.

Sake has been highly prized by many cultures since ancient times, especially in the northern lands of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Japan. In Japan there are many ceremonies and rituals performed to honor the return each year of this beautiful fish. After the sake are hatched in freshwater, they swim downstream to spend much of their live in the oceans before returning to the fresh waters to spawn.

Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of Japan is well known for its significant number of native sake (salmon). In the “old days,” many fishermen would travel from other parts of Japan to Hokkaido for the sake harvesting season. These “harvests” were so plentiful that many fortunes were made in the villages of Hokkaido and migrant seasonal fishermen came in hordes to share in the glory. Many estates and mansions were built with the profits of these highly sought after fish and interestingly, the salaries of the fishermen themselves were paid with preserved sake, especially salted sake, which were worth its weight in gold when the fishermen returned to their homelands in the southern islands of Japan.

Unfortunately, the population of wild salmon has drastically decreased with all of the environmental changes brought about by pollution, global warming and over-fishing. Over the years, many of the sake estates and mansions built in earlier days have been abandoned. Today many ruins remain as important reminders of the “glory days of Hokkaido” &emdash; whispering the story of the wild salmon so prevalent not so long ago.

Sake is a very versatile fish that can be cooked and flavored a number of different ways and there are countless sake dishes in Japan. Sake can be eaten raw as sashimi, cooked, or preserved. There really is no wrong way to prepare this delectable fish. Sake has been preserved by being smoked or salted since early times to use in trade or as food over the long winter months. The Japanese have perfected techniques for salting sake whole and have found ways to use all parts of the fish including the skin, bones and even the tail. Sake roe or eggs are also prized as a delicacy and are used in sushi dishes.

One serving of SALMON and BROCCOLI with MASAGO provides approximately:
300 calories (15%), 0.7 grams dietary fiber (2%), 17 grams protein, 25 grams fat (38%), 23 % cholesterol,  10% Vitamin A, 4% iron, 25% potassium, 4 % sodium, and 21% calcium.

Supplier: True World Foods, Shamrock Foods
Product origin: Japan, Argentina, USA