Simmered Flounder (カレイの煮付け, Karei no Nitsuke)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide shallow pan
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a circle of parchment with a small center hole
• •Wide fish spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the fish

   Use karei or another small flatfish with bright, moist skin and a clean sea smell. If it smells strong before cooking, don't make nitsuke from it. This broth is not a disguise. It is there to season good fish, not forgive tired fish.

2. 2

   Rinse with hot water

   Set the fish in a shallow bowl and pour boiling water over the skin for a few seconds, just until the surface tightens and turns faintly opaque. Drain at once and rinse gently under cold water, rubbing away any blood or loose scales. This is shimofuri, a quick hot-water rinse. It cleans the surface so the finished broth tastes clear instead of muddy.

   Don't soak the fish in the hot water. You are setting the surface, not cooking the flesh.
3. 3

   Score the skin

   Pat the fish dry and cut one shallow cross in the thickest part of the skin. The cut keeps the skin from tightening too sharply and gives the seasoning a path into the thickest flesh. Let the knife do the small work now, so the simmer can stay gentle later.

4. 4

   Start the broth

   In a wide shallow pan, combine the dashi, sake, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and ginger. Bring it to a lively simmer before adding the fish. Starting the fish in hot broth sets the outside quickly, which helps the pieces hold their shape.

5. 5

   Simmer under lid

   Lay the fish in the pan skin-side up in a single layer. The broth should come only partway up the sides, not cover the fish. Set an otoshibuta, a wooden drop-lid, directly on top, or use a circle of parchment with a small hole in the center. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, spooning broth over the top once or twice. Do not flip the fish. Turning is where delicate flatfish breaks.

6. 6

   Gloss the sauce

   Lift off the drop-lid and simmer 2 to 3 minutes more, basting the skin until it shines and the broth tastes balanced: salty first, then sweet, with sake's edge softened. If the sauce tastes thin, reduce it briefly. If it tastes too strong, stop reducing. The fish should still taste like fish.

7. 7

   Plate carefully

   Slide a wide spatula under each piece and move it to a shallow bowl or plate, skin-side up. Spoon a little broth around, not over everything, so the glossy skin remains visible. Add blanched greens if using. Serve with rice, because this broth knows exactly where it wants to go.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger what flatfish came in today and whether it would suit a brief simmer. The name matters less than freshness. Sourcing first, always.
• •Use a pan wide enough to hold the fish in one layer. Stacking the pieces asks you to move them, and moving them is how they break.
• •A wooden drop-lid, otoshibuta, is the proper tool. A parchment circle with a small center hole works well because it keeps the seasoning circulating while protecting the fish from a hard boil.
• •Don't drown the fish in sauce. Nitsuke is a shallow simmer, not a stew. The exposed top is seasoned by the broth as it bubbles and by your basting spoon.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to two days ahead and kept refrigerated.
• •The fish can be cleaned and scored several hours ahead, then kept covered and cold. Do the hot-water rinse just before cooking.
• •Karei no nitsuke is best served soon after cooking. Leftovers keep one day refrigerated, but reheat very gently in the broth so the flesh does not tighten.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 230g)