Miso-Glazed Salmon with Tender Bok Choy

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets, skin-on
• 300 g jasmine rice, rinsed, to serve
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 2 spring onions, green tops only, sliced
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 heads bok choy, halved lengthways
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• Pickled cucumber, to serve
• Fresh coriander, to serve

Method

1. Get the jasmine rice on first — cook it to packet instructions, then keep it covered off the heat so it stays fluffy and steams the last few minutes through. Whisk the miso, tamari, mirin, sesame oil and grated ginger in a small bowl until smooth and glossy.
2. Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper — water means steam, and steam means no caramelisation on the glaze. Season the flesh side with a pinch of salt, then spread two-thirds of the miso glaze generously over the top. Hold back the rest for the pan. Leave to sit for 10 minutes while you get everything else ready.
3. Heat a stainless or cast-iron ovenproof pan over medium-high. Lay the salmon skin-side down — don't crowd the pan, work in two batches if your pan is small, or the fillets will steam instead of crisping. Press gently for the first 30 seconds so the skin makes full contact, then leave alone for 3 minutes until the skin is crisp and releases cleanly. Flip and cook 2 minutes more, then slide under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes until the glaze is bubbling and deeply caramelised at the edges.
4. Lift the salmon out onto a warm plate. Splash the reserved glaze into the hot pan with a tablespoon of water, swirl for 20 seconds until it loosens and turns glossy, scraping up any sticky bits — that's your sauce, not a paste. Spoon it back over the fillets.
5. Meanwhile, heat the garlic-infused oil in a separate pan over medium-high. Lay the bok choy cut-side down and cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until the cut faces are golden — fragrant and just turning pale gold at the edges, no darker, or the garlic oil turns bitter. Add a splash of water, clap on a lid and steam for 1–2 minutes until the stems are just tender but still have bite. Season with a pinch of salt.
6. Taste the glaze sauce — most of the salt comes from the miso and tamari, but a final pinch ties it together. Adjust now, not at the table.
7. Spoon the rice into bowls, lay the salmon on top with its lacquered glaze facing up, and tuck the bok choy alongside. Scatter with the sliced spring onion tops and toasted sesame seeds, and serve straight away while the skin is still crisp.