Miso, butter, salmon

A fast, easy dinner built on three uber-umami ingredients.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 27, 2024 Marc Matsumoto's chan chan yaki, adapted by Mia Leimkuhler. Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Miso, butter, salmon By Mia Leimkuhler When I pitched this recipe for chan chan yaki — miso butter salmon — to Genevieve Ko, New York Times Cooking's recipe wizard (and deputy editor), she lit up. "Three of my favorite things: miso, butter and salmon!" she said. And that's how I feel, too, about this recipe that I adapted from one by Marc Matsumoto. (Marc's a Tokyo-based food personality who, along with running his recipe blog, No Recipes, is a co-host of the charming "Bento Expo" show on NHK, Japan's public broadcaster.) An easy dinner built on three flavorful, über-umami ingredients — what's not to love? What I really appreciate about this recipe, though, is how the vegetables are built in as a bed for your miso-buttered salmon. I tested the dish with cabbage, carrots, onion and enoki mushrooms, but I've also added slivered ginger and will try corn in my next go-round for summery flair. Everything cooks in one deep skillet, but I don't really consider it a one-pot meal because I must have rice to soak up all that delicious sauce. I love this recipe — my first for New York Times Cooking! — and I'm thrilled to share it with you. If you cook it, please tag me in your Instagram photos (I'm @mcleimkuhler) so I can cheer on your chan chan yaki. Featured Recipe Chan Chan Yaki View Recipe → With the miso and the sake, chan chan yaki nails that salty-sweet combination that makes so many dishes irresistible. It's the same flavor profile that draws me to Rick Martínez's grilled lemongrass pork and Nicole Taylor's peach and molasses chicken. The pork is Rick's take on thịt heo nướng xả, the aromatic grilled pork dish popular in many Vietnamese restaurants in the United States, and gets its lip-smackingness from a potent dipping sauce of lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, chile and garlic. The sauce for Nicole's chicken balances peach jam and molasses with soy sauce and ground mustard. (Just throwing it out there that Steve, a reader, swapped in fresh peaches for the jam, which sounds superb.) We can't talk about salty-sweet without talking sweet summer produce and, well, salt. David Tanis's marinated cherry tomatoes on toast is an excellent excuse to grab that beautiful basket of multicolored tomatoes and to swing by your favorite bakery for its crustiest loaf. There's no salt needed for Naz Deravian's beautiful, supremely refreshing agua frescas, but they are exactly what I want to be gulping down with something salty like elotes or a BLT. Lastly, I don't know if bland-spicy is a real flavor combination, but I certainly love it. Case in point: these cheesy potato breakfast tacos from Kristina Felix, which pump up bland potatoes and eggs with poblanos, cheese and a fantastic salsa negra (smoky garlic and walnut salsa). Kristina notes that as long as it's refrigerated and the oil doesn't go rancid, the salsa will keep indefinitely in the fridge, ready for quesadillas and nachos and avocado toasts and breakfast burritos. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Joe Lingeman for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Grilled Lemongrass Pork By Rick A. Martínez 1 hour 30 minutes Makes 4 servings Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Peach and Molasses Chicken By Nicole Taylor About 1 hour Makes 6 to 8 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Marinated Cherry Tomatoes on Toast By David Tanis 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes' marinating Makes 6 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Agua Fresca By Naz Deravian 20 minutes Makes 4 to 6 servings Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times Elotes (Grilled Corn With Cheese, Lime and Chile) By Melissa Clark 15 minutes Makes 6 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Juicy BLT By Clare de Boer 10 minutes Makes 2 sandwiches Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Cheesy Potato Breakfast Tacos By Kristina Felix 35 minutes Makes 4 servings Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Salsa Negra (Smoky Garlic and Walnut Salsa) By Kristina Felix 20 minutes Makes About 2 cups salsa Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018