Snow-Steamed Fish (淡雪蒸し, Awayuki-mushi)

A cap of beaten egg white can make a small piece of fish look like ceremony, which is when people begin to worry. Don't. Awayuki means light snow, not architecture. The fish is salted, touched with sake, and steamed until nearly done; the egg white goes on at the end so it sets softly instead of tightening into a sponge.

Choose the fish before you choose the method. Tai, cod, or flounder all work, but only if the flesh is glistening fresh, mild-smelling, and firm under the finger. There is no heavy sauce here, only a pale gin-an, a clear dashi glaze thickened just enough to cling. Nothing hidden. If the fish isn't clean enough for a quiet dish, change the dish.

The detail that decides it is softness: soft peaks, soft steam, soft timing. Beat the whites only until the peaks bend over, because stiff foam looks grand for ten seconds and eats a little meanly. Steam it just until the surface sets, then stop. As a mushimono, a steamed dish, this sits beautifully in the quiet middle of a Japanese meal, especially in winter or early spring, when a small suggestion of snow on a warm vessel feels exactly right. Leave it room.