Original: English

Nanbanzuke (Sweet and Sour Marinated Fried Fish)

This exquisite Nanbanzuke, with its irresistible sweet and sour sauce, is a game-changer. By significantly reducing marinating time and coating hot fried fish with the sauce, the flavors penetrate deeply. The savory salmon and crisp vegetables create a dish that will have you reaching for more rice.

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

Roughly chop the mitsuba into 5cm lengths.
🕒 00:22
Core the onion and prepare to slice it.
🕒 01:15
Place the salmon skin-side down and thinly scrape off any scales or dirt from the skin with a knife. Wipe dry with paper towels. (Key Tip!) Removing scales is crucial to avoid an unpleasant texture.
🕒 01:31
Trim off any bones remaining on the skin side of the salmon.
🕒 02:12
Thoroughly wipe the salmon skin with paper towels.
🕒 02:33
Flip the salmon and remove any bones from the flesh using bone tweezers.
🕒 02:53
Once bones are removed, pat the surface of the salmon dry with paper towels. (Key Tip!) Drying the surface allows the seasoning to penetrate better and removes any fishy odor.
🕒 03:32
Cut the seasoned salmon into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl.
🕒 03:53
Add 1 pinch of salt, 1 tbsp of cooking sake, and 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce to the salmon and mix well by massaging.
🕒 04:25
Let the salmon marinate for about 5 minutes.
🕒 04:56
In a heatproof bowl, combine 4 tbsp of vinegar, 1 tbsp of shiro dashi, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp of mirin, and sliced dried chili peppers to taste. Mix lightly.
🕒 05:04
Heat the seasonings in a microwave on 600W for 30 seconds. Stir well until the sugar dissolves to create the nanbanzuke sauce.
🕒 05:40
Thinly slice the prepared onion using a slicer.
🕒 06:06
Toss the sliced onion into the warm nanbanzuke sauce.
🕒 06:32
Lightly oil a frying pan and spread it evenly.
🕒 06:49
Place a generous amount of all-purpose flour in a large bowl. (Key Tip!) Don't skimp on the flour; using plenty will prevent the fish from becoming soggy.
🕒 07:00
Coat the seasoned salmon pieces in the flour, shaking the bowl to ensure an even coating.
🕒 07:21
Shake off excess flour and place the salmon in the frying pan, skin-side down.
🕒 07:53
Cook over medium-low heat, aiming for about 70% of the cooking time on the skin side and 30% on the flesh side. (Key Tip!) Starting from a cold pan and cooking gently prevents the skin from shrinking and results in a beautiful sear. Drying the skin's moisture thoroughly leads to crispiness.
🕒 08:17
Once the skin is crispy and has a nice golden-brown color, flip the salmon and cook the flesh side until browned.
🕒 08:52
Turn off the heat once the salmon is cooked through. While it's still hot, add the fried salmon to the sauce, starting with the smaller pieces. (Key Tip!) Adding the hot fish to the sauce causes a rapid temperature drop, allowing the flavors to meld.
🕒 09:19
Gently toss the salmon in the sauce using a spatula, being careful not to break the tender pieces.
🕒 09:35
Transfer to a serving dish and top with the 5cm-cut mitsuba. Serve.
🕒 09:58