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Karei no nitsuke
Flounder in sweet soy
Karei no nitsuke (カレイの煮付け): flounder simmered quickly in sweet soy and ginger
Nitsuke is the quick, glossy way Japanese home cooks simmer white fish, and flounder (karei) is the classic, especially in Hokkaido and along the Sea of Japan coast, where it is bought whole and cut into steaks at the fishmonger's. The fish cooks in only 10 minutes in a small amount of soy, sake, mirin and sugar with ginger, spooned over until it glistens; the flesh stays soft and sweet. Serve with rice and a green vegetable, and the broth to spoon over the rice. A portion is about 210 kcal. Sake and mirin contain alcohol, boiled off before the fish goes in; the notes give swaps. The most common mistake is putting fish into cold liquid; it must go into boiling broth so the surface sets at once and the flesh doesn't go mushy. Chef's tip: use a pan just big enough for the fish in one layer, so the small amount of broth reaches all of it.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 2 flounder or plaice steaks or filletsabout 180 g each, scored on the skin
- ¾ cup water
- 3 ½ tbsp sakecontains alcohol; or water with ½ tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp mirincontains alcohol; or 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingerthinly sliced
- 3 ½ oz spinach or komatsuna (optional)blanched, to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pour boiling water over 2 flounder or plaice steaks or fillets in a sieve until the surface turns white, then rinse in cold water and pat dry.
2 minStep 2: Put ¾ cup water, 3 ½ tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce and 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger in a frying pan just big enough for the fish. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute.
3 minStep 3: Lay in the fish skin side up. Spoon the boiling broth over, lay a small lid or baking paper directly on top and simmer on a medium heat for 8–10 minutes, spooning the broth over twice.
10 minStep 4: Take off the paper and cook for 1–2 minutes more, spooning the broth over, until it is glossy and slightly syrupy and the fish is opaque and flakes at the bone.
2 minStep 5: Lift the fish onto plates with a fish slice, spoon the broth over and serve with 3 ½ oz spinach or komatsuna.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does karei no nitsuke take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of mirin?
- Rice vinegar with ½ tsp sugar per tbsp.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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