Salmon Oyakodon (Salmon
Ikura Rice Bowl)
A luxurious Japanese rice bowl featuring a duo of premium salmon cuts, creamy avocado, and glistening ikura, balanced by the bright zest of calamansi.
While traditional Oyakodon features chicken and egg, this Parent and Child seafood variation celebrates the relationship between salmon and its roe. It is a staple of Hokkaido cuisine, emphasizing the purity and seasonal freshness of the Pacifics most prized catch.
Ingredients
- 130 g salmon back sashimi
- 20 g salmon belly
- 1 bowl sushi rice (room temperature)
- 14 avocado
- 20 g salmon roe (ikura)
- 1 tbsp fresh wasabi
- 12 calamansi lime
Instructions
- 1Halve the salmon fillet
Begin with a fresh, high-quality fillet of salmon back, which offers a firm texture and moderate fat content perfect for this dish. Use a sharp, long knife to carefully slice the large fillet down the middle into manageable blocks for sashimi.
Tip: Always use a specialized, sharp knife for slicing raw fish to ensure clean cuts without tearing the delicate flesh. - 2Slice salmon into thick strips
Take about 130 grams of the prepared salmon back sashimi block. Slice it evenly into thick strips to prepare it for dicing.
Tip: Ensure the strips are uniform in thickness so that the resulting cubes will be consistent in size. - 3Dice the salmon back
Cut the thick strips of salmon back into even, bite-sized cubes. Aim for a size similar to boba pearls, as pieces that are too small will negatively affect the mouthfeel of the final dish.
Tip: Keep the diced cubes roughly the same size to ensure a consistent texture when eating. - 4Assemble salmon over rice
Carefully spread the diced salmon cubes in an even layer over a bowl of prepared sushi rice. Ensure the rice is at room temperature; if it is too hot, it will partially cook the raw salmon and ruin its delicate texture.
Tip: Allow your freshly cooked sushi rice to cool completely before assembling to maintain the raw quality of the fish. - 5Prepare the salmon belly
Take approximately 20 grams of fresh salmon belly, which adds a richer, fattier dimension to the dish. Slice this piece into thin strips, preparing it to be diced and added to the bowl.
Tip: Salmon belly is very delicate and fatty, so use a swift, clean slicing motion. - 6Dice the avocado
Take a quarter of a ripe avocado and dice it into small, uniform cubes. The creamy texture of the avocado will perfectly complement the rich flavor of the salmon belly when layered on top of the bowl.
Tip: Use a ripe but firm avocado so it holds its shape when diced and mixed with the fish. - 7Add the diced avocado
Evenly distribute the diced avocado over the layer of salmon cubes. The creamy texture of the avocado provides a rich contrast to the fresh fish, enhancing the overall mouthfeel of the bowl.
Tip: Use a ripe but firm avocado to ensure the cubes hold their shape when being sprinkled over the dish. - 8Garnish and Serve
Complete the assembly by generously sprinkling glistening salmon roe over the top. Garnish the side with a dollop of freshly chopped wasabi and a halved calamansi lime. The lime provides a necessary acidity that cuts through the fatty richness of the salmon belly.
Tip: Squeeze the calamansi lime just before eating to keep the fish flavors bright and fresh.
