Lotus-Root Steamed Fish (蓮蒸し, Hasumushi)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Steamer, or a wide pot with a rack and tight lid
• •Oroshigane grater, or the finest side of a box grater
• •Small heatproof bowls
• •Clean kitchen cloth for wrapping the steamer lid
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with cloth

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the fish

   Sprinkle the fish with the sake and salt, then let it stand for 15 minutes. This firms the surface and draws out any sharp smell, so the finished dish tastes clean rather than fishy. Pat each piece dry before steaming.

2. 2

   Make the dashi

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put it in the cold water and bring it up slowly over low heat. Pull the konbu when the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides, before it boils. Add the katsuobushi all at once, take the pot off the heat, and leave it alone for 3 minutes. Strain through cloth or a fine sieve and let it drip without squeezing.

   Boiled konbu turns the stock bitter, and squeezed bonito flakes push oily, heavy flavor into it. Hasumushi needs clear dashi because the glaze is the voice of the dish.
3. 3

   Grate the lotus

   Grate the lotus root on the fine teeth of an oroshigane, or use the finest holes of a box grater. Do this just before steaming so the paste stays pale. Gather it in your hand and squeeze lightly only if it is running with liquid. It should feel sticky and heavy, not dry.

4. 4

   Season the paste

   Mix the grated lotus root with the egg white, salt, and sake until it looks even and slightly glossy. Don't beat it. Air makes the paste puffy at first and weak after steaming. You want quiet strength, not a little balloon.

5. 5

   Build the cups

   Set one piece of fish in each small heatproof bowl. Spoon the lotus-root paste over the fish, mounding it gently so it covers the top but does not press down hard. The paste protects the fish from direct heat and sets into a soft cap around it.

6. 6

   Steam softly

   Set the bowls in a steamer over gently simmering water and cover the lid with a cloth to catch drips. Steam for 12 to 15 minutes, until the lotus root is set and the fish flakes when touched with a chopstick. Keep the steam soft. Hard steam makes the surface coarse and pushes liquid out of the fish.

7. 7

   Make the glaze

   While the bowls steam, measure 1 1/2 cups of dashi into a small pan with the usukuchi and mirin. Bring it just to a simmer. Stir the kuzu or potato starch with the cold water, then whisk it into the dashi. Cook until the sauce turns clear and lightly thickened, just enough to coat a spoon.

8. 8

   Finish and serve

   Spoon the clear ankake over each steamed mound. Set a strip of yuzu peel on top, and add a little grated wasabi if you like its clean heat. Serve at once in the bowls, with space around the mound so the glaze can shine.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for lotus root that feels heavy, has tight holes, and shows a clean wet cut face. If the cut face is dry, dark, or sour-smelling, change the dish. Nothing hidden.
• •Kaga renkon is the honmono choice because its starch gives the grated paste body. If you can't find it, choose the freshest heavy lotus root you can, and add the egg white as written to help it hold.
• •Eel is traditional and rich, especially grilled unagi tucked underneath the lotus root. White fish gives a quieter version. Both are right; choose what is freshest in front of you.
• •Use kuzu for the clearest glaze if you have it. Potato starch is a sensible stand-in, but keep the heat gentle after it thickens or the sauce can thin again.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated. Warm it gently before making the ankake.
• •The fish can be salted with sake 2 hours ahead, then patted dry and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• •Grate the lotus root just before steaming. It darkens and loses its clean texture if it waits too long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)