kombucha braised salmon
a soul soothing dinner
jer 旨い•Feb 1, 2024
a few years ago, i was experimenting with different liquids to use for marinating proteins. on a whim, i found a “blood orange” flavored kombucha in my fridge and wanted to see how it would translate into cooking. what i found was that, in braising a protein in kombucha, the natural sugars reduce to a sort of caramelized glaze for the salmon, as well as leaves behind a decadent sauce from the rendered flavors that accumulate while cooking.
Instructions
combine the ingredients of the marinade and allow the salmon to soak up all of the flavors for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, but up to overnight. note that the longer you allow the marinade to do it’s magic, the more tenderized (and flavorful) the salmon will be.
preheat your oven to 375°F with convection (400°F without). transfer your salmon (2 fillets) and all of the marinade into an oven safe baking dish (cast iron recommended) and add your vegetables along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper to season them up. bake for 30-35 minutes uncovered, until the kombucha reduces into a slightly thickened glaze.
once cooked through, you may optionally top the salmon with a conservative sprinkle of extra brown sugar and broil (or torch) for 1 minute to add an extra caramelized layer.
use what’s left of the marinade in the pan to dress up your favorite greens, plate and serve.