Some dishes become synonymous with celebrations in our household. Over the years we’ve developed a handful of recipes that always make an appearance for special occasions.
For the boys’ birthdays we almost invariably serve Sticky Chicky Bones and Pig Tails. Thanksgiving brings Cranberry Upside-Down Cake and Baked Chocolate Custards. Christmas Eve is dedicated to a potsticker feast, and Easter means Bunny Bread. Just as these dishes reliably mark the seasons, my husband’s birthday request is just as predictable.
“I’d love Japanese Salmon over Linguine, please!”
Since first seeing this dish on an episode of Calling All Cooks more than a decade ago, it has become our go-to celebratory meal. It’s a regular on my husband’s birthday and often features on Father’s Day. We also serve it when we want to present something simple but impressive to dinner guests.
The dish has an unfussy, rustic presentation rather than a fussy, refined one, and that’s part of its charm. It’s remarkably easy to prepare. Like many Asian-inspired dishes, most of the work happens before you even turn on the heat: mise en place makes this quick and stress-free.
When our two oldest boys recently took part in the 30 Hour Famine, they deliberately ate lightly at the meal that breaks their fast because they knew dinner that night would be Japanese Salmon over Linguine. The mere announcement of it provokes delighted moans. Even the staunchest vegetable avoiders soften when green onion–flecked salmon is set before them.
That salmon is exceptional: moist, gingery, and garlicky. It cooks gently in a mixture of its own juices, sake, soy sauce and green onions. The cooked salmon is flaked over a mound of linguine in a deep bowl and the pan juices are poured generously over the whole plate. The result is so good it brings a respectful silence to the table.
If you happen to have leftovers (and that rarely lasts long), be prepared for a family bidding war. Chilled, unreheated portions are fought over with offers of chores, remote-control privileges, or other small bribes. It’s truly that coveted.
Salmon Over Linguine
For best results, grind or grate the ginger into a paste. One easy trick: wrap a piece of fresh ginger in plastic and freeze it overnight. When frozen, grate it on the finest side of a box grater or a microplane; young ginger can usually be grated without peeling. The garlic should also be mashed into a paste—use a microplane, the finest grater setting, or a garlic press. The goal is a smooth ginger-garlic paste that spreads easily over the fish.
Salmon Recipes
If you enjoy salmon, try the Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad for a smoky, satisfying side or meal. For a simple weeknight main, my Best Way to Cook Salmon in the air fryer makes quick, consistent fillets. To complement this Salmon over Linguine, blistered shishito peppers add a wonderful burst of flavor.
Japanese Salmon over Linguine
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil (preferably plain olive oil, not extra virgin)
- 4 skin-on salmon fillets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 3 cloves garlic, grated or mashed to a paste
- 2-inch piece of ginger, frozen then grated
- 1 bunch green onions (scallions), thinly sliced on an angle
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sake
- 1 pound linguine, cooked and drained
Instructions
- In a 2- or 4-cup measuring cup, combine the soy sauce and sake. Trim the hairy ends from the green onions, slice them thinly on an angle, and add them to the soy-sake mixture. Toss so the onions are evenly coated.
- Pour the olive oil into a 12-inch high-sided skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Pat the salmon fillets dry and lay them skin-side up in the oil. Flip the fillets skin-side down and divide the garlic and ginger paste among them, rubbing gently to coat. Spoon about half of the soy-sake-onion mixture over the fillets, cover the pan, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the fillets are mostly cooked up the sides. Gently flip the fillets, add the remaining soy-sake-onion mixture, replace the lid, and cook another couple of minutes until the salmon is opaque through.
- Remove the pan from the heat and peel the skin away from the fillets; it should come off easily—discard the skin. Break the salmon into large pieces and arrange them over the cooked linguine in a serving bowl. Pour the pan juices over the salmon and pasta. Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 88 g
Protein: 17 g
Fat: 20 g
Sodium: 819 mg
Nutritional information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. Calculate values using the actual ingredients you use if precise numbers are needed.
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