Cheese Sake Fry（Deep-fried cheese salmon, チーズ鮭フライ）

Cheese Sake Fry is good to eat with white wine. Japanese people eat salmon a lot in general. “Sake” means “salmon” in Japanese. Salmon is one of the most popular fishes in Japan. You can see salmon not only on Sushi, but also inside Onigiri (rice ball), on Donburi (A bowl of rice), as Sashimi (fresh fish), as Yaki zakana (grilled and/or broiled fish) and so on.
I will introduce the deep-fried cheese salmon in a deep-frying pan to cook at home easily.

Ingredients (2 plates):

• 2 cut fresh salmon
• Vegetable oil (less volume than a half height of your deep-frying pan)
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese or grated cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian herb
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of *Panko
• 1 teaspoon salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoons *Japanese vegetable & fruit sauce (Semi-sweet)
• 4 small pieces broccoli (If you like, for decorations)
• 4 small pieces carrots (If you like, for decorations)
• 2 teaspoons of ranch dressing or any kinds of dressing (If you like, for broccoli, and carrots)
• Cooked rice and miso soup (If you like)

-> See picture A, B, & C.

*Panko is breadcrumbs.
*Japanese vegetable & fruit sauce (Semi-sweet) is made of vegetables and fruits like tomatoes, onions, carrots, apples lemon, prunes and so on. It has sweet and sour flavors. Japanese people use this sauce for Tonkatsu (Japanese pork cutlet), Yakisoba (Stir fried soba noodles), deep fried shrimp and so on.

Here is how to make it at home. Cooking time is about 30- 40 minutes.

1. Preheat vegetable oil in a deep-frying pan with medium heat until the oil’s temperature is 170 degree Celsius (340 Fahrenheit). -> See picture D.

2. Meanwhile, cut salmon into bite size chunks. -> See picture E.

3. Beat 2 eggs in a flat bottom container, put flour and *Panko in each different flat bottom container. Add parmesan cheese and Italian herb on the *Panko. Mix thoroughly. -> See pictures F and G.

4. Dry the salmon well with a kitchen paper towel. Add salt and pepper on the salmon. Prepare other flat bottom containers with kitchen paper to remove excess oils after deep-fries.

5. After the oil temperature is nearly high enough, dip the salmon in the flour, then in the egg, finally in the *Panko. Repeat it for all salmon pieces. -> See pictures H, I and J.

6. Put breaded salmon in the deep-frying pan and deep-fry this side for about 2-3 minutes or until the breaded salmon is golden brown. Flip over the salmon and deep-fry for another 2-3 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Remove from heat and put the salmon on the flat bottom containers from step 4. -> See pictures K, L & M.

7. Place the salmon on plates. Add the Japanese vegetable & fruit sauce on top. Decorate carrots, broccoli, cooked rice and miso soup (If you like) on the side.