Chef critique
Miso-Lacquered Sockeye & Eggplant
An elegantly simple and appealing Japanese-inspired meal that makes excellent use of stovetop techniques. The instructions are beautifully formatted and timed, but the salmon requires a light presalting to ensure the interior is fully seasoned to balance the intense exterior glaze.
Score: 8/10
Suggested fixes
- Increase the total kosher salt in the ingredient list from 3/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon.
- In step 1, season the salmon fillets with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt after patting them dry.
Issues
- medium / flavor: The salmon fillets are not salted before cooking. While the miso lacquer coats the exterior with savory flavors, the interior of the 6-ounce fillets will taste underseasoned without a light presalting.
Strengths
- Perfect execution of the 125°F target temperature for salmon, accounting for carryover cooking during the brief rest.
- Excellent use of the bulleted list for the multi-ingredient miso lacquer, formatting it exactly where the ingredients enter the action.
- Logical sequencing of passive and active tasks ensures the rice, eggplant, and salmon all finish cooking around the same time.
- Concise and clear references to the prepared lacquer in later steps without needlessly restating ingredients.