Rock-a-bye Salmon

Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time to eat some fish. Introducing the world’s easiest way to cook fish…the Hoiru-Yaki. You probably know what Yaki means by now (for those of you don’t, it means to grill or to cook in Japanese) but what the heck is Hoiru? Yes, it’s one of those classic cases of, what I refer to as, a Japanese-English term that comes from the English word foil, as in aluminum foil. We're going to take advantage of this multi-purpose, amazingly popular stuff, maximize the consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids from the fish and reap the awesome benefits of Shiitake. In addition, you’ll minimize the ordeal of dealing with the aftermath of cooking.

Hoiru-Yaki
The application of aluminum foil, in outdoor and indoor cooking, is a common practice for its functionality, as well as for its convenience, and when the Japanese use this method to cook fish, it is often referred to as Sakana-no Hoiru-Yaki (which translates into something like fish cooked in aluminum foil). For a country that is accustomed to eating so many varieties and quantities of fish, this method can be very practical.

The meat or flesh of some types of fish is so delicate/ fragile, that it can be very challenging, especially for unskilled beginners, to cook or grill nicely without it breaking apart. Of course, the fish is still edible, even if it falls apart, but its presentation will be something to be desired. The use of aluminum foil can definitely help to solve this problem and make a fish lover’s life that much easier. Besides, cooking this way will help us to contain the Omega-3 fatty acids. So, it’s not only easier and easy on the eyes, but it can be healthier, too.

Salmon Power
Salmon is known as the king of fish oil. Yes, the good fats! We’re talking Omega-3s, which, by the way, has nothing to do with the acclaimed watchmaker. I don’t know how effective Omega-3s are for a broken heart, induced by a love affair turned sour, but they are noted for their role in preventing heart problems. In recent years, you’ve read and heard about how eating fish may reduce the risk of dying from a heart attack. Did you know, however, that it’s more about the type of fish...fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel (which are more abundant in Omega-3s) that should be spotlighted.

The cut we are using is the cross-section slice of the salmon, usually called the steak, or some may prefer the fancier term, darne of salmon. Yep, when asked what’s for dinner, instead of just answering FISH! you can say something like darne de saumon avec des champignons de Shiitake. Sorry if I didn’t write this correctly (I never took French) but doesn’t it give it a real gourmet image? No? Okay, let’s move on.

Anyway, this cut is nice and firm and it doesn’t break into pieces easily, making it suitable for cooking on the barbeque grill. Very tempting for me…but our mission, here, is to contain the fatty acids of the fish, so aluminum foil, it is! You can mosey
on over to my Grill for the Thrill post for some grilling action.

The Shiitake
For those of you who are not familiar with this word, it’s pronounced She-Tah-Ke (as in "Eh? Can’t hear you"…not Key). Sounds too foreign? Then, how about the name used in the science or medical world - Lentinus edodes or Lentinula edodes? NO CAN DO? Perhaps this is why it’s also called Black Mushrooms, Japanese Forest Mushrooms or simply Japanese Mushrooms.

The name derives from the Japanese word Shiitake(椎茸). Shii (椎) refers to the Shii Tree (Castanopsis or Quercus cuspidate) which the mushrooms (茸) are cultured on.

According to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), this native mushroom of Asia is now the 2nd most commonly cultivated, edible mushroom in the world. There’s a very good reason for its popularity. It not only tastes good, but the nutritional benefits of this mushroom are just heroic! It’s sort of like, “It’s a medicine…It’s a food…It’s SuperShroom!”…for real! In terms of its nutritional benefits, Shiitake are known to reduce cholesterol, strengthen the immune system, activate your blood, and so on.

I think Kenneth Jones, a medical writer specializing in medicinal plants, sums it up pretty nicely – Shiitake: The Healing Mushroom (which is the title of his book, by the way). If you’re interested in learning more, there’s a smorgasbord of information, on this amazing mushroom. For health-related food topics, I do a lot of surfing on The World’s Healthiest Foods at www.whfoods.com.

Shiitake’s popularity has surely grown and it is widely available today…whew! When shopping for Shiitake mushrooms, you can either buy them fresh or dried.

Fresh Shiitake
They are very porous, like a sponge and absorb liquid quickly (especially the underside of the cap where the gills are) so don’t expose them to water too much. Some people just wipe the surface with a damp cloth or paper towel. I usually rinse them very quickly with tap water while singing my Shiitake song. “Ohh, who lives in a forest under the trees Shroombob Roundhat. Absorbent and tasty and nutritious is he Shroombob Roundhat” – and I don’t even have rug rats (kids).

Dried Shiitake
Just because you can’t find fresh ones, don’t think that you have to settle for dried ones and get discouraged. Dried Shiitake, that have been sun-dried, are richer in Vitamin D than the fresh ones, due to the exposure to ultraviolet rays. But not all dried Shiitake, sold today, are dried under this natural condition, so look for a brand that says Sun-Dried. Typically, sun-dried Shiitake Mushrooms are more expensive than non-sun-dried ones.

In Japan, dried Shiitake mushrooms are generally categorized into 3 varieties. Donko (冬茹 or どんこ), Koshin (香信) and Kouko (香茹).

Donko
Donko is the variety that is typically picked early, before the caps open, making them look bulky and thick. When this closed-cap Donko variety is sun-dried, it is considered to be the highest grade of Shiitake and is said to have the most medicinal value.

Koshin
The Koshin variety, on the other hand, has an opened cap that resembles an umbrella in use. The caps are often much thinner than the Donko variety and perhaps falls into the more common grade of Shiitake.

Kouko
Finally, the Kouko variety has big, thick caps and falls in between the other two varieties. Because it has the unique attributes of both Donko and Koshin, it is a common gift item in Japan.

For our featured dish, we’ll stick to the common Koshin variety, but if you can’t find whole, dried Shiitake mushrooms, a pre-sliced version will work, too.

Mushroom CPR
Before cooking dried Shiitake mushrooms, we need to revive them and perhaps the best way is to reward them with a special holiday package. If it’s a sunny day, let them hit the sun deck. By doing this, they will reward you back with supercharged Vitamin D. After they enjoy the sun (give them at least 30 minutes to 2 hours) they need to take a quick shower. Followed by the rinsing action, it is time for a dip in the pool and let the rehydration treatment begin.

Soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms in cold water. They tend to float to the top, so weight (plastic bowl or something) them down, to keep them submerged. Depending on the size, I’d soak them for at least 5 hours. Although we’re not going to use the stems for this dish, they usually require more time to reconstitute, and the same goes for the Donko variety, due to its thickness.

Many people even soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms, overnight, in the fridge. You’ll get better results this way, keeping the savoriness of the mushrooms intact, but if you're in a hurry, soak in lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar for about 40 minutes (1 hour in the case of the Donko variety). Some people use hot water or microwave oven to expedite the process, but patience is truly a virtue, here. Whether you soak them overnight or use lukewarm water, what is important, is to make sure that the dried Shiitake mushrooms are fully reconstituted.

Once they are fully revived and refreshed after their holiday package, they are ready to go to work. Place them in a strainer and have them stand by for action. By the way, whatever you do, don’t discard the water that the dried Shiitake was soaked in. It’s full of good stuff. I usually use it in Miso soup but some people drink it, especially when it’s been used to soak the Shiitake in overnight, in the fridge. I wouldn’t drink the mushroom-soaked water of just any brand, though. Let’s just say that, personally, I’d have to be comfortable with the brand/ grower of the Shiitake I use.

Rock-a-bye Salmon...
Okay, now that we have our salmon and Shiitake ready, let’s roll. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. In the meantime, let’s work on the platform. When using regular aluminum foil, I usually use two sheets for extra strength but if you have Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil, one sheet will work just fine.

Spray or apply some cooking oil on the aluminum foil where the salmon is going to be placed. If you love butter, I have a better way. Cut a few slices of butter and 2~3 slices of onions. On a large sheet of aluminum foil, line up the butter slices in a single file, starting from the mid-center of the sheet. Place the sliced onions sideways on top of the butter. This will be the sleeping platform for the salmon so try to make its bed nice and even. Personally, I like the combination of butter and Shiitake, but you can always
do it without the butter, and just place the onions on
the sprayed–on cooking oil.

Salt the salmon (and black pepper if you like) on both sides and this baby is ready to be tucked in. Lay the salmon down onto its bed and cover it with a blanket of Shiitake mushrooms. In this case, I'm using fresh Shiitake. As an option, you can add broccoli and/ or carrots into the mix. Once all the elements are in place, fold and form the aluminum foil so it covers all the ingredients, creating a cradle-like pouch.

Before sealing the opening, I add one more thing – Sake
(visit the My Three Muskateers post). I usually pour in about a 1/2 cup of Sake to join the cause. I do this not only to enhance the flavor, but it also provides me with a reference to timing.When sealing the foil, don't make the pouch too tight and allow some space for the salmon to breath. The sides or the skin of the salmon can stick to the foil.

Once the aluminum pouch is placed into the oven, the smell of evaporating Sake gives me an idea of where it stands in the cooking process. When I start to sense the evaporating smell of Sake, the steaming action has commenced. Let it steam for a little more and slightly pop open the oven door and you’ll be greeted with a strong, tangy odor that stings your nose.

Typically, this takes place 30 to 40 minutes later from the time you placed the aluminum pouch into the preheated oven. Eventually, this distinctive tang will settle down and turn into a fragrant aroma based on the harmony of Sake, Shiitake and butter. You’ll also notice a nice sizzling or searing sound, coming from all the ingredients tucked nicely inside that aluminum cradle.

Enjoy this harmony of flavors for a few more minutes and take it out of the oven to check the status. If the salmon looks nice and white, it’s pretty much done. But typically, I put it back into the oven one more time…this time with the aluminum foil unsealed, for another 5 minutes or so, to slightly brown the salmon. I do this because the wife likes it this way, but it boils down to your preference. When doing this extra process, I normally put aside the Shiitake Mushrooms to allow the entire topside of the salmon to brown.

Once cooked, garnish with fresh chives. Add some Shoyu or Soy Sauce (check out my Got Soy Sauce? post), lemon or whatever seasoning you like if you want more flavor, but before you do so, sample a piece of salmon with a bit of Shiitake first and let that taste register into your brain for future reference.


As far as the exact time in which it is required to fully cook the salmon really depends on its size, thickness, cut, the type of oven you’re using, and other variables (i.e. amount of Sake, etc.,). Although I generally let it cook for 45 to 55 minutes in my 500-degree oven, I usually depend heavily on my ears and nose (the nose, knows), rather than on my clock. After a while, you’ll be able to tell when it’s ready by smelling, hearing and/ or looking at it. Even then, the outcome may differ each time, but hey, as long as you make the effort, strive for what you want, and put your heart and soul into it, you’re the winner…aluminum foil or not.

As far as the dried Shiitake Mushrooms go, I sliced them up and decorated the salmon with them, prior to cooking. When sharing the dish, sliced Shiitake obviously works better and is often easier to eat. Also, if salmon skin turns you off, remove it after cooking. It peels off easily enough. Personally, I think this is the best part. I cook the skin (separately) just a tad longer to make it nice and crispy. And, of course, you can always plate this fish concoction if eating off aluminum foil is not your style.



Aluminum foil is awesome but I wonder if you can use it to make Origami. Hey, look at this, I guess you can. I mean, I haven't made an Origami Crane since I was a kid and I've certainly never made one with aluminum foil! Oh, well, maybe it's not a perfect crane but...close enough. In any case, a tribute to the one and only - aluminum foil. AND, a big kanpai (cheers) to the merits of Salmon and Shiitake.