Aburi is a style of pressed sushi that is seared with a flame. Add a piece of salmon on top, and it's called Aburi Salmon. Today, I'm sharing a special version which was made famous in Vancouver. It has additional components like a soy glaze, mayo-based sauce, and a jalapeno on top.
After I bought a blowtorch for making salmon tataki, my wife asked me to try making aburi salmon since it's one of her favorite sushis. I did some research and learned the type of aburi salmon that my wife is familiar with is unique to Vancouver. It has a soy glaze, mayo-based sauce, and a slice of jalapeno on top.
This style of aburi was made famous by Miku, one of Vancouver's top sushi restaurants. My wife and I actually went there for her birthday the first year we dated. We did their omakase tasting menu and it was one of the most aesthetic sushi experiences I ever had. My wife was super excited for me to make this post and even found this video of one of Miku's chefs making it on Global News.
Important components
Sushi rice: To make the sushi rice, you will need short-grain rice. This type of rice has a stickier texture than regular rice so it's perfect for sushi. After it's cooked, you'll want to season it with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Salmon sashimi: For the sashimi, I'm using farmed salmon fillets from Costco. You want to slice them into reasonably thin slices, about ¼-inch thick, and try to make each piece big enough to cover one sushi. However, if your cuts are not perfect, that's OK too. The salmon will be covered by mayo anyways.
Soy glaze: The soy glaze is made with soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. You want to boil it for about 2-3 minutes so that is reduces to a glaze consistency. This was my wife's favorite part of the entire recipe. She said it would go amazing in a poke bowl.
Mayo sauce: I would highly recommend using Japanese mayo for this. It has an extremely rich flavor which comes from the fact it's made with only egg yolks. The most popular brand is Kewpie. I'm also mixing it with miso, sugar, and extra salt. For piping it onto the sushi, I use a plastic bag with a hole cut in the corner.
What blowtorch am I using?
I'm using the Iwatani blowtorch. I got this on Amazon for only $70 and it's really easy to use. One thing to keep in mind is that you need an 8-ounce butane canister to go with it. For some reason, the Amazon product page recommends the 2.75-ounce butane canisters, but those do not fit. Make sure you get the 8-ounce container (the same one you'd use for a hotpot stove).
How to assemble the aburi
Vancouver-style Salmon Aburi
Ingredients
For the sushi rice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups cooked sushi rice
For the mayo sauce
- ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon miso paste (I'm using white miso but color does not really matter)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the rest
- ½ pound thinly sliced salmon sashimi
- 1 jalapeno (thinly slices)
Instructions
- In a small pot, add the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Put it over medium heat and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Fold this into the cooked sushi rice.
- In a small pot, add the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat. Let this cook for 2-3 minutes until it reduces in volume by half.
- Combine the mayo sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Transfer the mayo sauce to a piping bag or plastic bag with a small hole in the corner.
- Wet your hands under some running tap water. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of rice and squeeze it between the palm of your hands into an football shape.
- To assemble (see pictures in blog post), add a piece of sliced salmon on top. Brush the salmon with the soy glaze. Pipe on a thin layer of mayo sauce and torch the mayo until it's charred. Finally, add a slice of jalapeno on top.
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