As a commercial salmon fisherman in Ketchikan, Alaska, I know firsthand the importance of having easy, delicious recipes at sea. This one, for teriyaki salmon with shiitake mushrooms and fresh chives, is the perfect addition to any yacht chef’s recipe book.
To make this recipe even easier to prepare in a heaving galley, I recommend preparing the ingredients ahead of time. You can mix the soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil in a small container, and slice the shiitake mushrooms, before leaving shore. You can also remove the skin and pin bones from the salmon fillets beforehand, to save time and space in your galley.
When cooking the mushrooms, be sure to use a large, ovenproof skillet to minimize the number of dishes you’ll need to clean. You can also adjust the cooking time as needed, depending on the heat source on your yacht.
This recipe is not only delicious, but also nutritious. Wild salmon is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It’s the perfect meal to enjoy after a day out on the water.
Makes four servings
¼ cup soy sauce
2½ TB brown sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
4 tsp olive oil
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced thick
4 (6-ounce) wild salmon fillets, skin and pin bones removed
1 TB fresh chives, chopped
Make the Teriyaki Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil. Set aside.
Make the Mushrooms
In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until browned. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce mixture and continue to cook, stirring until the skillet is dry and the mushrooms are glazed, about three minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
Make the Salmon
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet. Add the salmon fillets, skinned side up. Cook over medium heat, turning once, until lightly browned.
Remove skillet from heat. Pour the reserved tablespoon of the soy mixture over the fillets to coat. Bake the salmon at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the top is golden, lightly glazed and just cooked through, two to three minutes.
To serve, transfer salmon to warm dinner plates. Top with the mushrooms and chives.
For five months a year, LaDonna Gundersen lives aboard a 32-foot fishing boat in Alaska with her commercial-fisherman husband, Ole, preparing meals in the boat’s 4-by-5-foot galley. Find more great galley recipes from her six Alaskan-themed cookbooks at ladonnarose.com
This article was originally published in the July/August 2023 issue.
