Salmon Furikake

So there was a bit of a buzz in our house upon the arrival of my newly coveted Furikake seasoning. I’d seen it mentioned in Gina Homolka’s new Skinnytaste cookbook (Roasted Sesame Green Beans – which I’ll be trying tout suite) and was eager to try a recipe I’d found online involving salmon, Teriyaki, and mayonnaise of all things. I say ‘of all things’ even though I grew up in a family notorious for slathering mayonnaise on swordfish avant the grill. It’s a technique I still use today with wild success.

Furikake is a dry Japanese seasoning typically consisteing of a mixture of dried and ground fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar, and salt.

Most of the recipes I read involved placing the salmon [skin-side down] on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet and then coating it with best-quality mayonnaise. Sprinkle the Furikake over the top. Make a foil packet around the fish and bake at 350˚ for 12-20 minutes, depending on the size of your salmon. One recipe included drizzling Teriyaki sauce over the mayonnaise before topping with the Furikake. This is what I did and it was delicious. I'm wondering, though, about the necessity of the mayonnaise and I will be trying the recipe again sans mayo. As always, I recommend the highest quality ingredients, as your end product will only be as good as the parts!

The end result was a decadent, rich fish replete with flavor. My house smelled delicious. And the bonus? My 3-year-old son was using both fists to shovel it into his mouth. He couldn’t be bothered with a fork, so frankly, I joined him in using fingers as our utensils. It was messy and fun and a wonderful dinner.

Disclaimer: Do not get ahead of yourself and start sprinkling Furikake on everything. Someone in this house (I won’t mention any names) put some on her cottage cheese and was not pleased. Then she tried it on popcorn and again was displeased. I do hear, however, it’s delicious on rice and tofu. If you give these a try I’d love to know your thoughts!

Until next time …

Salmon Furikake