Salmon Furikake
Furikake is one of my favorite Japanese seasonings. A couple years ago I developed a recipe for making furikake from scratch without any artificial ingredients or food dyes, and I’m excited to share it with you today!
The impetus to start making my own furikake at Bento Picnic came from not wanting to throw away any part of the pristine salmon that we were sourcing from Big Glory Bay, NZ. After breaking down the fish, there is always some meat left on the ribcage and skins. The process to make your own furikake involves running a spoon across the ribcage and skins to gather up all the extra salmon trim. Next you blend and dehydrate the trim with miso and ponzu until you can break it apart into a dry powder. To finish it off, simply toss the dehydrated salmon powder with mushroom seasoning, sesame seeds and nori for added crunch and flavor.
This furikake was a central component of our menu at the Chef’s Showcase last year at the Austin Food & Wine Festival. We made King Salmon Daikon Rolls with salmon and cucumber rolled together in a sheet of ponzu-marinated daikon radish, then garnished with kewpie aioli and housemade furikake for a burst of acid & umami to compliment the fresh, clean flavors of raw salmon and cucumber! I also love using this furikake on top of rice dishes like Chirashi-Don and as a seasoning for Albacore Onigiri.
My favorite salmon
This may surprise you, but I actually prefer Big Glory Bay’s salmon over wild salmon, and I know many other chefs who do as well. The thing with Big Glory Bay is that I know that I'm going to get really consistent high quality - gorgeous color, clean taste, and fresh, firm texture.
The southern coast of New Zealand (where Big Glory Bay is located) is arguably the most perfect habitat for King Salmon -- The waters are not only pristine & free of parasites, they are also quite brisk with the Antarctic tidal currents coming through -- and salmon thrive in those 40℉ waters. Each egg is harvested by hand, and there's zero risk of parasites, no question about how the fish was caught and handled or what it's been feeding on.
Hot Tip: Central Market is the exclusive retailer for Big Glory Bay Salmon in Texas, so that’s where to go if you’re looking for it in Austin or elsewhere in the state.
Homemade Salmon Furikake
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 185g Salmon, Scraped off Bone
- 30g Ponzu
- 60g White Miso
- 28g Mushroom Seasoning
- 110g Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 12g Shredded Nori
Instructions
1. Combine wet ingredients
Combine salmon and ponzu in a blender to puree. Add in the miso and blend again until it is a smooth paste.
2. Dehydrate & make a powder
Spread paste out evenly on a sheet-tray lined with a silpat using an off-set spatula. Dehydrate in 200℉ for a total of 80 minutes. Halfway through cooking (after 40 minutes) use the off-set spatula to peel the paste off the silpat & turn it upside down to promote even cooking. Put back in the oven for the final forty minutes, or until it is dry enough to crumble. Remove & let cool completely before pulverizing in a food processor or spice grinder.
3. Mix in dry ingredients
Add the mushroom powder, toasted sesame seeds, and shredded nori to the salmon powder. Store in a sanitized jar in a cool,dry place like a pantry or cellar.