Japanese cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Iwashi no Nitsuke

Sardines braised soft in a soy-mirin-ginger liquid until even the fine bones turn tender.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g sardines (cleaned)
• 1 piece ginger (5 cm)
• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 5 tbsp mirin
• 100 ml sake
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 300 ml water
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 spring onions

Instructions

1. Remove the heads and innards from the sardines, rinse the belly cavities clean under cold water and let the fish drain well.
2. Peel the ginger and cut into paper-thin slices, and separate the spring onions into fine rings.
3. Bring the sake, mirin, water, sugar, rice vinegar and half the ginger slices to a boil in a wide pot and let bubble uncovered for 2 min. so the alcohol evaporates.
4. Lay the sardines side by side in a single layer, pour in the soy sauce and set a fitting small lid or a cut piece of parchment paper directly onto the fish.
5. Braise over low heat for 35–40 min. without stirring, but occasionally swirling the pot and spooning over the liquid, until it has reduced to a syrupy consistency and the fish glisten dark.
6. Carefully lift the sardines onto plates with a wide spatula, sprinkle with the remaining ginger and the spring onions, and serve lukewarm with rice.