Cuban-Japanese fusion recipe

Aburi Salmon with Grilled Pineapple and Soy

Name: Aburi Salmon with Grilled Pineapple and Soy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 400 g cleaned salmon loin, skinless and boneless, suitable for raw consumption; 160 g peeled fresh pineapple; 5 ml vegetable oil; 20 ml soy sauce; 15 ml lime juice; 15 ml cold water; 2 g grated ginger; 5 g chopped chives

A Cuban-Japanese fusion starter: salmon slices seared on the outside, diced grilled pineapple, soy-lime dressing and chives. Ready in 40 minutes.

CiberCubaNovember 11, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation20 min
Cooking5 min
Total time40 min
Servings4 starters
DifficultyMedium

This contemporary fusion recipe plays with two worlds: aburi-style seared salmon, raw inside and lightly browned on the surface, and grilled pineapple, a familiar presence on the Cuban table. It is not a traditional recipe from either Cuba or Japan; it is a modern dish that takes inspiration from both cuisines.

Contrast is everything: the salmon's mild richness, the toasted sweetness of the cold pineapple, the saltiness of the soy sauce, the tartness of the lime and the heat of the ginger. It is a light, eye-catching and quick starter, ideal for beginning a special meal.

Note: because the center of the salmon remains raw, safety starts when you buy it. Read the protocol in the notes and steps carefully before preparing it.

Ingredients

Check off the ingredients you have.

For the salmon

400 g cleaned salmon loin, skinless and boneless, suitable for raw consumption

For the pineapple

160 g peeled fresh pineapple
5 ml vegetable oil

For the dressing and garnish

Method

Before you start

Check that the salmon comes from a reliable supplier, is expressly intended for raw consumption and has undergone appropriate parasite controls (including supplier-validated freezing where applicable). It should already be thawed in the refrigerator and kept at 4 °C or below. Use a clean cutting board, knife and tray, separate from those used for other foods.

Pineapple and dressing

Cut the pineapple into thin slices, brush them with the oil and sear them in a very hot frying pan or on a griddle until lightly browned on both sides.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Spread the pineapple in a clean, shallow container and chill it quickly in the refrigerator (about 15 minutes). Once completely cold, cut it into small dice.
Mix the soy sauce, lime juice, cold water and grated ginger. Keep the dressing in the refrigerator until serving.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Chop the chives and keep them chilled.

Salmon

Using a very sharp knife, cut the cold salmon into 7-8 mm slices. Place them on a clean metal tray without piling them up, and return them to the refrigerator if you are not going to sear them immediately.
On the metal tray, away from paper, cloths or any combustible material, move a culinary blowtorch continuously over the salmon, just until the surface is seared. The inside should remain raw and translucent. Do not use alcohol to flambé: this does not cook the fish through.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Transfer the slices to cold plates. Divide the well-chilled diced pineapple among them, sprinkle with the chives and add a few drops of the dressing. Serve immediately. Do not keep leftovers of dressed fish.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Tips and variations

Raw fish safety (important). Buy the salmon from a reliable supplier, with fish expressly intended for raw consumption, and confirm that it has undergone parasite controls appropriate to the species and origin, including supplier-validated freezing where applicable. Freshness alone is never a guarantee. Start with fish that has already been treated and thawed in the refrigerator. This recipe does not provide guidelines for home freezing.

Soy sauce, lime, ginger and searing only the outside do not make the raw center safe. Proper freezing controls parasites, but does not eliminate all harmful microorganisms. No preparation using raw fish is risk-free.

Keep the fish, dressing and pineapple at 4 °C or below until serving, and use a clean cutting board, knife and tray reserved exclusively for raw fish. Serve immediately after preparation and do not keep leftovers of dressed fish.

Fully cooked alternative. For pregnant people, children, older adults and immunocompromised people, cook the salmon thoroughly until the center reaches 63 °C (in a pan or in the oven, in fillets or thick slices) and serve it with the same pineapple and dressing. The result is different: the texture is firm and opaque, not silky and translucent as in aburi.

About gluten. Soy sauce usually contains wheat, so this recipe is not suitable for people with celiac disease unless you use certified gluten-free soy sauce.

Blowtorch. Work over a metal tray, away from paper, cloths or other combustible materials, and do not use alcohol to flambé.

The timings assume the fish is ready to use and do not include preventive freezing or thawing.