I stole the concept for this dish from a great restaurant in Portland, Oregon. I’d like to think I’ve made this at home often enough to call this my take.

While any miso would probably work, the more robust red miso tends to overpower the delicate flavor of the tarragon. White miso is usually about as easy to find these days anyway. I’d also strongly recommend getting fresh tarragon. It’s not an herb that dries well, and the subtle anise perfume from the herb is what makes the dish for me.

On salmon

An increasing proportion of the salmon available today comes from aquaculture. That is, it’s farmed rather than caught wild. I suspect this is at least in part a concession to convenience and perceptions of freshness. Salmon spend part of their lives in freshwater and part of their lives in the ocean. Typically they’re caught when they migrate back to freshwater in the late summer and early fall. For that reason, fresh wild salmon is only really available for a few months of the year. Rather than eat frozen fish (which can be excellent) or only when it’s in season, people like their farmed fish and its seeming freshness.

Which is not to say that farmed salmon is bad. It can be bad (and bad for the surrounding ecosystem), but the good stuff can be fine, too. I don’t think it’s as tasty, though. King salmon has a richness the farmed salmon lacks, and the sockeye salmon (cheaper and usually easier to find) has more character. If you really must get salmon out of season, I’d pick frozen wild-caught fish over the aquaculture every time.

For the miso butter

Ingredients

  • 50 g unsalted butter, cold
  • 25 g white miso

Method

Combine the miso and butter in a small bowl. Then, using a fork or a stiff spatula, work the butter and miso together until they form a homogeneous mass. Cover, set aside, and chill the butter until it’s required.

For the salmon

Ingredients

  • 700 g (about 1.5 lbs) salmon, preferably center-cut sockeye or king, cut into four fillets
  • Neutral oil (e.g., rapeseed)
  • Salt
  • 150 g dried farro, cooked
  • Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Handful tarragon leaves

Method

Preheat an oven to 200 °C (400 °C).

Arrange the salmon skin side down on a baking tray. Drizzle the fish with neutral oil and lightly salt it. Remember the miso is fairly salty. Bake the fish in the hot oven until it’s opaque, firm, and flakes nicely, about 15 to 20 minutes.