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Writer's pictureCampbell Whitman

Salmon Sashimi with Ponzu Sauce

Updated: Aug 25, 2021

Ponzu sauce is a highly acidic Japanese sauce that is very versatile. It can be used as a dipping sauce, a dressing and a marinade to start. It has very powerful flavors that can cut through any kind of ingredient and adds a super zesty bite. Plus it's full of umami flavors, which is like finding the secret pot of gold at the end of the "flavor" rainbow.

Salmon Sashimi with Ponzu Sauce

When serving this dish you will need to decide per person how much fish you wish to serve. My recommendation below is for a first course. You can add more or less fish to make it bigger or smaller of course. The sauce recipe below is enough for 6-7 servings.


100-120 g per person of fresh salmon (sushi grade is best)

-sliced no more than a 1/4 of an inch or 1/2 cm thick

1 t of very thinly sliced green onion-NO white per person

1/2 t toasted black sesame seeds per person

1/2 t toasted white sesame seeds per person

Ponzu Sauce

yields 200 ml (6-7 servings, 2 T per plate)

70 ml soy sauce

40 ml mirin fu

10 ml sake (optional)

10 ml rice wine vinegar

zest from 1/4 of a lime (ONLY the green!)

60 ml lime juice

1/4 t grapefruit zest

10-15 ml grapefruit juice (depends on how sour it is)

dash of pepper (NO salt needed)

1/2 t toasted sesame oil

1 T bonito flakes (Dried tuna flakes. It is optional, but very flavorful!)


First make the ponzu sauce so it has proper time to soak together. Basically mix everything together and set aside in a bowl in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Before serving strain it first.


Slice the salmon in very thin strips. You want them to be no thicker than 1/2 cm or 1/4 of an inch. Part of why this dish is so sophisticated is the size of the sashimi itself. If it's too thick the delicateness of the dish is completely gone. Sometimes I will even slice them in thiner pieces and add more of them to the row on the plate.


When ready to plate make sure everything is prepped. Then lay down the salmon pieces evenly over each plate. NOW....if you are planning on walking with the plates to the table, do be aware that the ponzu sauce will roll all over the plate if it's not held perfectly straight. It's rather difficult but can be done! But, another option is to plate it at the table. Spoon over each plate (over the fish only) about 2 tablespoons per dish. Then sprinkle with the two sesame seeds, green onions and a pinch of finely ground fresh black pepper. Voilá!

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