Confit Salmon with Miso-Buttered Mushrooms

Low-temperature confit turns salmon into something almost custard-like — rich, impossibly tender, barely holding its shape. Crown it with mushrooms seared hard and tossed in miso butter, and you get a dish that bridges French technique with Japanese flavour in a way that feels effortless. It's the kind of plate that makes people think you spent hours, when really the oven did most of the work.

How to cook

Start with the cure. Mix the coarse sea salt (3 tablespoons), maple sugar (1 tablespoon), lemon zest, and chopped dill in a small bowl, pressing the mixture between your fingers to bruise the dill and release the lemon oils. Lay the salmon fillets on a wire rack set over a tray and rub the cure evenly over all sides. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes — no longer, or the salt will over-penetrate and the texture will turn firm and almost cured rather than silky. This step draws out surface moisture and seasons the fish all the way through, so don't skip it.

After 30 minutes, rinse each fillet thoroughly under cold running water to remove all the cure. Pat them completely dry with kitchen paper — and mean completely. Any residual moisture will splutter in the oil and affect the texture. Let the fillets sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 77°C (170°F).

Arrange the salmon in a single layer in a baking dish — it should be snug enough that the oil covers the fillets without needing litres of it. Pour over the olive oil (300-400ml) until the fillets are just submerged. Slide the dish into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. You're looking for the salmon to turn opaque and feel like it barely resists when you press it gently — it should still have a slight wobble, almost like a set custard. A kitchen thermometer takes the guesswork out of this: pull them at 48-50°C (118-122°F) internal temperature for a silky, medium-rare centre. If you prefer your salmon more cooked, go to 55°C (131°F), but know that the texture will be less luxurious.

While the salmon confits, get the mushrooms going. Tear larger mushrooms like king oyster and maitake into irregular pieces — you want craggy edges that crisp up, not neat slices. Shiitakes can be halved or quartered depending on size, stems discarded.

Heat a large skillet over high heat until it's properly smoking. Add a tablespoon of neutral oil, then the mushrooms in a single layer. Here's what matters: don't touch them. Let them sear undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until they develop deep golden-brown colour on the underside. Resist the urge to stir — crowding and constant movement are what give you pale, steamed mushrooms instead of caramelised ones. If they don't all fit in one layer, do two batches. Flip and sear another 2 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter (60g) and let it foam, then stir in the garlic (2 cloves, sliced) and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the miso paste (2 tablespoons) directly to the butter and stir until it dissolves into a glossy sauce — miso burns easily, so keep things moving. Add the soy sauce (1 tablespoon), rice vinegar (1 tablespoon), and sesame oil (1 teaspoon). Toss everything together and taste. It should be deeply savoury with a slight sweetness from the miso. Adjust with more soy if it needs salt, or a splash more vinegar if it needs brightness. Take off the heat and fold in the spring onions (2, sliced).

Lift the salmon out of the oil with a fish spatula, letting the excess oil drain for a few seconds. The fillets will be delicate, so handle them gently. Blot the bottoms briefly on kitchen paper.

Bonus points

• Make a dashi broth base: Steep a 10cm piece of kombu and a handful of bonito flakes in 500ml of hot water for 10 minutes. Strain, season with a splash of soy and mirin, and ladle a shallow pool into each bowl before plating the salmon on top. This turns the dish into something closer to a refined Japanese main.
• Crisp the salmon skin separately: Ask your fishmonger for the skins, or save them when you remove them. Scrape off any excess fat, stretch them between two sheet trays lined with parchment, and bake at 190°C for 12-15 minutes until shatteringly crisp. Snap into shards and stand one in the mushrooms — it adds texture and looks stunning.
• Use brown butter miso: Cook the butter until the milk solids turn hazelnut-brown and smell nutty before adding the miso. The nuttiness of brown butter with miso is extraordinary — just watch it carefully, since the line between brown butter and burnt butter is about 15 seconds.
• Add a yuzu hit: Replace the rice vinegar with yuzu juice if you can find it. The floral citrus lifts the richness of the confit and miso butter in a way regular vinegar can't.
• Upgrade the mushrooms: Source fresh maitake (hen of the woods) if your market carries them. Their frilly edges crisp beautifully and they have an almost woodsy depth that cultivated mushrooms lack.

Serving

Place each salmon fillet in the centre of a warm shallow bowl and pile the miso-buttered mushrooms directly on top. Scatter with toasted sesame seeds (1 tablespoon) and a few extra spring onion slices. A thread of good toasted sesame oil around the rim finishes it. Steamed jasmine rice on the side is the obvious partner — it soaks up the miso butter beautifully. For something lighter, serve over wilted greens or a simple cucumber-sesame salad dressed with rice vinegar. This pairs well with an off-dry Riesling (Kabinett level), a chilled Junmai Daiginjo sake, or a light, earthy Pinot Noir if you prefer red.