Salmon Teriyaki with Quinoa & Greens

Serves 2

Takes an hour (including marinading time)

This stylish, healthy, delicious dish is very easy to make. The juicy, sweet, exotically flavoured fish, the lush greens and the nutty, grassy quinoa, plus their chilli and coriander garnish, all sit together incredibly well. If you are wondering why cornflour is used, it helps coat the fish and thickens during cooking. You’ll end up with more marinade than you need; sadly we can’t find a way to scale it down.


The marinade:-

6 tbsps dark soy sauce

4 tbsps Mirin or medium sherry

1 tbspn sesame oil

1 tbsps agave syrup

1 tbsps finely chopped ginger

The rest

2 x 150g slices from a large salmon fillet, skinned (about 2 cm thick)

½ a pointed spring cabbage, shredded

2 tspn cornflour

75g quinoa

1 large, mild red chilli, sliced very finely into circles

Some coriander leaves, finely chopped


  • Mix the marinade ingredients. Put the salmon pieces in a glass bowl and pour about a third of the marinade over. Leave to marinate for at least 45 mins, turning every 15 mins

  • Meanwhile:-

  • Separate 2 tablespoons of the marinade and reserve and whisk the cornflour into the rest. Set aside

  • Cook the quinoa as per the instructions on the packet, set aside

  • Get your oven going at 200C, 180C fan

  • When the fish has been marinating for 40 minutes, get a little olive oil heating in a frying pan. When it’s good and hot, add the chilli and fry for about a minute. Remove from the pan and set aside. Then take the heat down to medium, and add the cabbage, and start to stir fry

  • When the fish has been marinating for 45 mins, line a small baking tray with tinfoil, put the fish in, then liberally baste the cornfloured marinade over each piece. Put it in the oven and set your timer for 10 minutes

  • Meanwhile, add a tablespoon of the non-cornfloured reserved marinade to the cabbage and continue to cook it until al dente. Set aside and keep warm.

  • When the timer beeps, remove from the heat, and take the fish out of the oven

  • To serve, put half the cooked cabbage on each plate in a neat central pile and the quinoa alongside. Garnish the quinoa with the fried chillies. Carefully place a piece of fish on the cabbage, garnish with the coriander and serve