The matcha tinted brown rice in these bowls is topped with flakes of steamed salmon and a cucumber, sesame, mint and pickled ginger salad. The matcha, ginger and fish are such a delicious combination with a beautiful balance of salty sharpness.

This dish is one of those bowls that look all impressive but actually doesn’t take too much effort. You steam the fish over the rice as it cooks and prepare the salad while the rice and salmon are bubbling away. This should mean that you’ve got dinner on the table within 30 minutes, yay!

I tried something similar to this, base don a recipe in Gourmet Traveller but it use smoked fish. Sometimes i find smoked fish a little salty and paired with the pickled ginger I wanted something a little more delicate… thus the steamed fish.

I used ribbons of cucumber and chopped pieces just for a difference in texture, but you could just chop it all, no need to cut it multiple ways. Sometimes I just like to pretend I’m fancy.

The steamed salmon is so delicate and should flake easily with a fork once you’re finished cooking it. It’s so delicious with the rice and that fresh, sharp zingy salad. This is my favourite kind of food!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked short grain brown rice

1 tsp matcha powder (if you don’t have this you can just have normal brown rice!)

2 cups salt reduced stock or water

1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

200g salmon

few drops sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

a few slices of fresh ginger

Salad

1/2 a continental cucumber

1/4 cup spring onion, finely sliced

1 cup fresh mint leaves

3 Tbs pickled ginger, roughly chopped

1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

1 tsp black sesame seeds (optional) untoasted

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp rice wine vinegar (or just use some of the pickling liquid from the ginger)

a few drops sesame oil

Lime wedges to ser (optional)

Directions

Rinse rice well. Combine rice, matcha powder and water in a small pot and bring to the boil. Cook at a simmer for 15 minutes. Add vinegar, fluff with a fork. Allow to stand with a lid on for 10 minutes after cooking. If your packet of rice specifies a longer cooking time or more water, do it!

Place a small plate in a steaming basket (large enough to hold your salmon fillet. Put your fresh ginger slices on the bottom, top with salmon, skin sized down. Add a few drops of sesame oil to the salmon. Steam over the simmering rice for 8-15 minutes depending on your thickness and how cooked you like it. Check the salmon by attempting to flake with a fork, if it comes away easily and your happy with how cooked it is it’s done! Once just cooked drizzle the whole fillet in  the soy and allow to sit for a couple of minutes before flaking.

Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to peel long slices of the cucumber, or cut into half circles a few mm thick, or do both. Add to a bowl along with the spring onion, mint leaves, pickled ginger and sesame seeds. Add the soy, vinegar and sesame oil and toss to combine.

Assemble: Add rice to the bottom of your bowl and top with salad and flakes of steamed salmon. Serve with a wedge of lime.

HH. x