Easy Simmered Japanese Fish Recipe (Traditional Nitsuke Method)

By Sudachi · 40 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt over both sides of the fish and leave for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the 20 g ginger 2 mm thick and set out a bowl of ice water.
2. After 10 minutes, pat the fish completely dry with paper towels. Make a shallow cut in the thickest part of the upper side and one cut on the underside (for a whole fish, score both sides).
3. Cool freshly boiled water to about 80°C (176°F) by adding roughly a quarter its volume of tap water. Place the fish in a bowl, cover with a drop lid or plate, pour the hot water over the lid slowly and stir gently with chopsticks straight away.
4. When the skin tightens and the surface turns whitish, drain the hot water immediately and move the fish into the ice water. Use a spoon to remove any blood, slime and white scum, then dry the fish well with paper towels.
5. In a saucepan, combine 150 ml water and 150 ml sake, add 3½ tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sugar and the sliced ginger, and bring to a full boil over medium heat.
6. Lower the fish gently into the boiling liquid, skin side up. Reduce the heat, cover with the drop lid and cook for 3 minutes.
7. Remove the drop lid. Add 3 tbsp koikuchi soy sauce in three portions, spooning sauce over the fish after each and letting it mix in before adding the next.
8. Replace the drop lid and simmer over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes (7 to 8 minutes total for fillets, 12 to 15 for a whole fish). Meanwhile, boil water with a pinch of extra salt, cut the 50 g green vegetable into 5 cm pieces, blanch for 1 minute, then move to cold water.
9. Test the thickest part of the fish with a bamboo skewer. When it slides in easily, remove the drop lid and reduce the sauce over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, spooning it over the fish continuously. Lower the heat as the sauce thickens and the bubbles enlarge.
10. Turn off the heat when about one third of the starting sauce remains, the bubbles have changed and the sauce looks glossy and slightly thick. Taste, and add soy sauce a little at a time if more seasoning is needed.
11. Move the fish to plates, top with the ginger and spoon over some of the remaining sauce. Squeeze the greens dry, arrange beside the fish and serve immediately.

Summarized from Sudachi's video. Watch it for the details.

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