Name: Homemade Ikura (Marinated Salmon Roe)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 sack salmon roe ((sujiko)); 1000 ml water; 1 tsp salt (to wash); ½ tsp salt (to enhance color); 60 ml sake; 45 ml dashi stock; 30 ml mirin; 30 ml Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu); 3 g dried kelp (kombu)

1

sujiko salmon roe sack in styrofoam packaging

Open 1 sack salmon roe by hand (do not use a knife) and place it in a large heatproof bowl. Gently massage to help loosen the roe, and remove what you can from the membrane. (Don't worry about removing all of them at this point.)

2

measuring the temperature of a pot of water using a digital infrared thermometer

Pour 1000 ml water into a pot and add 1 tsp salt. Mix and heat until it reaches 70 °C (158 °F).

3

washing sack salmon roe (sujiko) in a steel mixing bowl filled with water

Pour the hot water over the salmon roe and separate the roe from the membrane using chopsticks, removing the membrane as you go.

4

Once you've removed all of the membrane and separated all of the roe, pour the contents of the bowl through a sieve to drain. Fill the bowl with cold water and gently wash the roe to remove any leftover debris. Drain and repeat until clean.

5

draining salmon roe in a mesh sieve over a mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap

Drain once more and set the sieve of roe over an empty bowl. Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and shake to evenly distribute it through the roe. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

6

making ikura marinade in a saucepan on the stove

While you wait, make the marinade. Add 60 ml sake and 30 ml mirin to a saucepan and boil for 30 seconds to release the alcohol.

7

ikura marinade in a wide container with piece of kombu

Pour the sake and mirin mixture into a container and add 45 ml dashi stock, 30 ml Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu) and 3 g dried kelp (kombu). Cool completely before adding the roe.

8