Miso Glazed Salmon Knuckles

Notes: This recipe also works great with salmon or sablefish collars, as well as salmon or sablefish fillets. 

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 mins, optional marinate several hours

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb wild-caught salmon knuckles (preferably King, Coho, or Sockeye)

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white miso paste

¼ cup mirin

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil 

1 tbsp sriracha (optional)

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped 

Optional to serve and garnish with:

1 cup long-grain white rice, cooked

1 ripe avocado

Sesame Seeds (white, black, or mixed)

Thinly chopped scallions

Directions:

1. Combine brown sugar, miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha (optional), and ginger in a deep bowl or Tupperware. Whisk until combined.

2. Add salmon knuckles to the mixture, submerging all the meat.  Marinate under refrigeration for at least 20 minutes.  If possible, marinate for several hours or overnight. 

3. Preheat convection oven or air fryer to 450 degrees. If using a conventional oven, set to 475 degrees.

4. Arrange the salmon knuckles on a wire rack.  Make sure to prepare a solid tray on a rack underneath to catch the drippings.  Lining the bottom tray with aluminum foil will make clean-up easier. 

5. Bake the knuckles for about 6 minutes, or until the edges of the fin start to brown. While the fins are in the oven, transfer the remaining marinade to a pan on the stove and cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until the mixture has been bubbling for about 3 minutes and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. 

6. Change the setting of the oven to broil. Brush the thickened marinade over the top of the knuckles, and return to the top rack of the oven.  Broil for 2-3 minutes until the knuckles are golden brown and shiny and the edges are crispy. 

7. Remove from oven.  Drizzle with remaining sauce.  Serve with rice and avocado, and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.