← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 2 white fish portions, skin on (flounder, cod, sea bream or alfonsino, about 300 g)
• 4 cm piece fresh ginger, half sliced and half cut into fine threads
• 120 ml Water
• 60 ml Sake
• 2 tbsp Mirin
• 3 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1½ tbsp Sugar
• 1 piece kombu (5 cm square) (optional)
• 2 spring onions or 1 small leek, cut into 5 cm lengths

Method

1. Score the skin of the fish with a shallow cross. Put it in a colander, pour a kettle of just-boiled water over it, then rinse under cold water and pat dry. This quick blanch sets the surface and removes any fishy smell.
2. Choose a wide, shallow pan that holds the fish in one layer. Add the water, sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, sliced ginger and kombu and bring to the boil.
3. Lay the fish in skin side up and spoon the liquid over it. Cover with a drop lid or a circle of baking paper with a small hole in the middle.
4. Simmer over medium heat for 10–12 min, basting now and then, until the fish flakes and the sauce has reduced by about half. Do not turn the fish or it will break.
5. Tuck the spring onions into the pan for the last 3 min to soften in the sauce.
6. Lift the fish carefully onto plates, pour the sauce over and top with the ginger threads.

Tips

• The thin, salty-sweet sauce is meant to be spooned over plain rice.
• Add a few chunks of burdock root or tofu to the pan to soak up the broth.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

RecipeTin Japan Just One Cookbook Just One Cookbook