Sous Vide Miso Salmon with Crackling Skin

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Salmon held at a gentle 122°F in the water bath comes out impossibly silky and evenly cooked edge to edge — no dry outer layer, no guesswork. A 90-second sear in a hot skillet crisps the skin, and the reserved miso-mirin marinade cooks down into a glossy glaze right in the pan. Ten ingredients, mostly hands-off, and the fish is genuinely hard to overcook.

Ingredients

• 4 fillets skin-on salmon fillets (6 oz each, about 1 inch thick)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola

• 3 tbsp white miso
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot or container with water, clip in your immersion circulator, and set it to 122°F (50°C). Let it come fully up to temperature while you prep the fish — about 10 minutes.
2. Whisk the miso, mirin, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil in a small bowl until smooth. Spoon half into a separate bowl and set aside for the glaze. Pat the salmon dry, season the flesh side with the kosher salt, and rub the remaining marinade over the flesh only, keeping the skin clean and dry.
3. Slide the fillets into one or two zip-top freezer bags in a single layer, skin side down. Seal all but one corner, lower the bags into the water bath so the water pressure pushes the air out, then seal the last corner completely (water displacement method). Clip the bags to the side of the pot so the fish stays submerged.
4. Cook at 122°F (50°C) for 40 minutes for 1-inch fillets, or up to 50 minutes for thicker pieces. The salmon will look barely changed but will be cooked through and silky. Remove the bags and let them rest on the counter for 2 minutes.
5. Lift the fillets out with a spatula (they are delicate) and blot both sides very dry with paper towels, pressing firmly on the skin — dry skin is the whole secret to crisping. Heat the neutral oil in a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high until it just shimmers. Lay the fillets in skin side down, press gently with the spatula for 10 seconds each, and sear undisturbed for 60 to 90 seconds until the skin is crisp and browned. Do not flip.
6. Transfer the salmon skin side up to plates. Off the heat, pour the reserved miso mixture into the still-hot skillet and swirl for 20 to 30 seconds until it thickens slightly and turns glossy. Spoon the glaze around and over the flesh side of the fish, then scatter with scallions and sesame seeds and serve right away with steamed rice.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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