Simmered Yellowtail and Daikon (ぶり大根, Buri Daikon)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide shallow pot or donabe
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a circle of parchment with a center hole
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Skimmer or ladle

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put it in the 4 cups cold water and bring it up slowly over low heat, about ten minutes. Pull the konbu when the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot. Boil it and the dashi turns cloudy and faintly bitter, which is a poor trade for impatience.

   You're steeping the konbu, not boiling it. That white bloom on the surface is flavor, not dirt.
2. 2

   Finish the dashi

   Bring the konbu water just to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, and take the pot off the heat. Let the flakes sink for two or three minutes without stirring. Strain through a cloth or fine-mesh strainer and let it drip on its own. Don't squeeze, because squeezing presses strong, oily flavors into the clear stock.

   Measure 2 1/2 cups dashi for the simmer. Save the rest for soup or for loosening the broth later.
3. 3

   Parboil the daikon

   Peel the daikon thickly, because the outer layer is fibrous and sharper than the heart. Cut into thick half-moons and, if you like a neat finish, shave off the sharp edges. Simmer in rice-rinsing water, or plain water with a spoonful of uncooked rice, until a skewer enters with a little resistance, 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse gently. This takes away the raw bite and opens the daikon so it can drink the seasoning later.

4. 4

   Clean the buri

   Sprinkle the buri pieces with the salt and leave them for 10 minutes while the daikon cooks. Put the fish in a colander and pour boiling water over it until the surface turns pale and opaque. Rinse under cold running water, using your fingers to lift away blood, loose scales, and dark bits near the bone. This is the step that keeps the finished broth clean, not fishy.

5. 5

   Start the simmer

   Lay the daikon in a wide pot in one layer, then tuck the buri pieces among them, skin-side up where you can. Add the sliced ginger, 2 1/2 cups dashi, and the sake. Bring to a gentle simmer and skim the foam from the surface. Skimming early keeps the broth clear before the seasonings darken it.

6. 6

   Season in stages

   Add the sugar and mirin first and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the soy sauce. Sweetness enters the daikon more easily before the salt of the soy tightens the surface, so this order is not ceremony. It is simply how you get flavor into the middle, not only on the outside.

7. 7

   Set the drop-lid

   Set a wooden drop-lid, otoshibuta, directly on the food, or use a circle of parchment with a small hole cut in the center. Simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes. The liquid should move quietly around the lid, not knock the fish about. The lid keeps the top basted without stirring, and stirring is how good fish becomes rubble.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Remove the drop-lid. If the broth tastes thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes until it is glossy and balanced, not salty. Let the pot rest off the heat for at least 20 minutes so the daikon finishes drinking. Serve in shallow bowls with a little broth, ginger matchsticks, and a thin strip of yuzu peel if you have it.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger for buri ara, the collar, head, and bony trimmings of yellowtail. The bones and skin give the broth its body. If all you can get is skin-on fillet, use it, but shorten the final simmer by about 10 minutes so it doesn't dry out.
• •Sourcing first, always. The fish should look glistening fresh and smell clean, never sour or strongly fishy. If the fish is tired, change the dish. Nothing good comes from hiding it under soy.
• •The blanching step is not optional. Buri has richness, and richness without cleaning becomes heaviness. Salt, hot water, and a careful rinse make the difference.
• •Some homes use water because buri ara makes its own stock. A light dashi gives the daikon a clean base before the fish joins in. Instant granules make the broth flat and salty, so leave them on the shelf for another day.
• •Use an otoshibuta if you have one. If not, parchment is a sensible stand-in. Cut it to fit inside the pot, make a small center hole, and lay it right on the food.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made two days ahead and kept refrigerated. For a rounder stock, soak the konbu in the water overnight before heating.
• •The daikon can be parboiled a day ahead, cooled, and refrigerated in a covered container.
• •Finished buri daikon is better the next day. Cool it in its broth, refrigerate overnight, then rewarm gently without a hard boil so the fish stays intact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 360g)