Update 2023/9/10 : I’ve posted a new definitive guide to making ikura from salmon roe along with a new video . I’m leaving this one up for those who prefer curing ikura in a dashi brine.
With spawning season in full swing, the salmon are packed to the gills with roe. If you’re able to find a skein of salmon roe at your local seafood shop (or you happen to know someone that’s going salmon fishing in Alaska), this salmon roe recipe, 5 minutes, and a handful of ingredients is all it takes to turn that ugly sac of roe into a decadent bowl of ikura (salmon caviar)
Unlike the limp salty goop that that comes out of jars, my homemade ikura recipe is truly sublime. The plump silken pearls of caviar glow like precious gemstones and are loaded with the savory taste of umami. Stick a spoonful in your mouth and each orb bursts with a satisfying pop, sending their rich, briny flavor flooding over your tongue in a wave of culinary bliss.
Serve it on blinis as a canapé, use it for making sushi, or just spoon it over a bowl of hot rice to make ikura don. I also like serving this red caviar along with salmon sashimi on a bowl of vinegared sushi rice or as a filling for temaki sushi rolls .
In addition to my instructions here on how to make ikura, I’ve put together a little video to show you how to separate the delicate salmon roe from the skein. This technique should work with almost any salmon or trout roe. Just be sure to select a skein of roe with large mature pearls. Immature roe have weaker sacs which will break as you try and separate them from the skein.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 1 ½ cups dashi stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 large skeins fresh salmon roe
Instructions
- Make the brine by adding the dashi , soy sauce, sake, sugar and salt to a bowl and stirring until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
- Watch the video for instructions on separating the pearls of caviar from the skein.
- Rinse the caviar with cold water and then put it in a container with enough brine to cover it.
- The ikura will be ready to eat in 1 day.
Nutrition Facts
Ikura (Salmon Caviar)
Equipment
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dashi stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 large skeins fresh salmon roe
Instructions
- Make the brine by adding the dashi , soy sauce, sake, sugar and salt to a bowl and stirring until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. 1 ½ cups dashi stock, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon salt
- Watch the video for instructions on separating the pearls of caviar from the skein. 2 large skeins fresh salmon roe
- Rinse the caviar with cold water and then put it in a container with enough brine to cover it.
- The ikura will be ready to eat in 1 day.
