Slow-Roasted Salmon With Mushroom-Leek Broth

This warming dish is inspired by Japanese ochazuke, a comforting bowl of rice with green tea poured on top. Traditionally, the meal may also be finished with grilled fish, sashimi or other toppings, but there is room for variation: You could swap out the hot tea for dashi, broth or other liquids. In this approach, the salmon is slow-roasted — which helps render some of the fat and keeps the fish meltingly tender — while a light shiitake mushroom and leek broth simmers. Divide cooked rice among bowls, spoon the salmon and vegetable broth on top, and finish with fresh ginger and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Ingredients

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) piece skin-on or skinless salmon
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, plus more for serving
• Kosher salt
• 2 medium leeks, trimmed, white and light greens cut crosswise into 1-inch rounds (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked short-grain white rice
• Fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks, for serving

Steps

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place salmon on a baking sheet. Drizzle salmon with 1 tablespoon sesame oil, sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven until cooked, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove salmon from the oven and let it rest another 5 minutes.
2. While the salmon roasts, heat remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a pot over medium. Add leeks and mushrooms, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks and mushrooms are lightly golden on the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. (Don’t worry if the pan seems dry, the moisture that comes out of the mushrooms and leeks will help steam the vegetables and keep them from burning.)
3. Add chicken broth and simmer until the broth is infused with mushroom flavor and leeks are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt.
4. To serve, divide rice among bowls. Scoop salmon by the spoonful onto the rice, and ladle vegetables and broth over salmon and rice. Top with ginger and a drizzle of sesame oil.