Japanese cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Kinmedai no Nitsuke

Whole splendid alfonsino braised in sake, soy sauce and sugar – a festive nimono with a deep dark glaze.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 oven-ready splendid alfonsino fish (approx. 500 g each)
• 200 ml sake
• 200 ml water
• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 5 tbsp mirin
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 piece ginger (approx. 5 cm)
• 1 bunch scallions
• 100 g snow peas

Instructions

1. Rinse the fish inside and out under cold water, pat dry and score each side once diagonally down to the bone; briefly pour boiling water over them and immediately rinse with cold water to remove slime and scale residue.
2. Cut the ginger into thin slices, cut the scallions into 5 cm pieces and trim the snow peas.
3. Combine sake, water, soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a wide pot, add the ginger slices and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Place the fish side by side in the bubbling broth, cover directly with parchment paper resting on the surface, and braise over medium heat for 18–20 min., basting with the broth every 4 min.
5. Remove the paper, add scallions and snow peas, and reduce the broth uncovered for another 6–8 min. until it glistens dark and glazes the fish.
6. Lift the fish onto a warmed platter with two wide spatulas, arrange the vegetables alongside, and serve hot drizzled with the remaining broth.