Aji no Nanbanzuke
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 8 small whole fresh aji (horse mackerel or sardines), cleaned, scaled, gutted, and deboned
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
- All-purpose white flour as needed
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Nanbansu (vinegar sauce)
- 7 tablespoons cold water
- 1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
- 3 tablespoons sake
- 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 or 2 small dried red peppers, seeded & sliced thinly
- 3 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar, or to taste
- ½ Japanese leek, white part only, charred & quartered or replace with 1 small onion, peeled & thinly sliced
Garnish
- Minced green onion to taste
Optional Additional Vegetables if desired:
- 1 or 2 piman (Japanese green pepper), seeded, cored and thinly sliced into strips
- 1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into strips
Instructions
- Wash the cleaned fish and sprinkle them with the sea salt. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then wash the salt off in cold water and dry the fish well with paper towels. Dredge in flour. Deep-fry in the vegetable oil until the fish start to float and turn golden-brown. Drain quickly on paper towels, then place the still-hot fish in a shallow, nonaluminum container.
- While the fish are being salted, make the sauce. Bring the water, sugar, sake, soy sauce, and red peppers to a boil. Turn the heat off and add the vinegar, leeks, and any other vegetables if using. Pour the sauce over the fish, let cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to two days, turning occasionally.
- To server: Drain the fish and vegetables, and place on a serving plate. Sprinkle the fish generously with the minced green onions and drizzle a little of the sauce over them. Serve cold.