Sweet-Simmered Saury (秋刀魚の甘露煮, Sanma no Kanroni)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy pot
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a parchment circle with a center vent
• •Small skimmer
• •Fish spatula or small offset spatula for lifting pieces intact

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the sanma

   Rinse the sanma briefly under cold water. Cut off the heads just behind the gills, trim the tails, pull out the guts, and rinse the belly cavities until no dark blood remains. Cut each fish crosswise into 3 short pieces and pat them dry. Keep the spine in. This is kanroni, and the slow simmer is there to make that bone edible, not to avoid it.

   Blood left near the spine turns bitter and muddy in a long simmer. Clean it now and the glaze can stay clear, sweet, and honest.
2. 2

   Blanch the fish

   Lay the fish pieces in a colander and pour boiling water over them until the skin tightens and turns slightly satin. Rinse at once under cold water, rubbing away any clinging blood or loose scales with gentle fingers. This quick cleaning is called shimofuri, frost-blanching. It is not fuss. It removes surface smell and scum so the finished glaze tastes of fish at its prime, not of what should have been washed away.

3. 3

   Start the simmer

   Put the dashi, sake, rice vinegar, and sliced ginger in a wide heavy pot. Bring it just to a simmer, then lay the sanma pieces in a single layer. The liquid should come at least halfway up the fish; add a little more dashi or water if the pot is too wide. Skim once, then set an otoshibuta, a wooden drop-lid, directly on the fish and lower the heat. Simmer quietly for 45 minutes.

   The vinegar is not here to make the dish sour. In a long, gentle simmer it helps soften the small bones and keeps the oily fish tasting clean.
4. 4

   Sweeten first

   Add the sugar and mirin around the fish, not directly on top of it. Swirl the pot by its handles so the seasonings move through the liquid without breaking the pieces. Set the drop-lid back on and simmer 20 minutes more. Sweetness goes in before shōyu because salt tightens the surface; give the sugar time first and the seasoning settles deeper.

5. 5

   Add the shōyu

   Add the shōyu around the edge of the pot and return the drop-lid. Keep the simmer soft for 45 to 60 minutes, spooning liquid over the top now and then if the upper sides look dry. Do not stir. A hard boil breaks the fish and a spoon turns the pieces into a complaint. The glaze should darken slowly, the skin should stay mostly intact, and the pot should smell of ginger and clean soy, not sharp vinegar.

6. 6

   Test the bones

   Lift one center piece carefully and test a bit of spine. It should yield under your teeth without a chalky snap. If it is still hard, add a splash of dashi or water, cover with the drop-lid again, and simmer another 20 minutes. The clock is useful, but the bone tells the truth.

7. 7

   Reduce the glaze

   When the bones are tender, remove the drop-lid and simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, spooning the liquid over the fish until it turns glossy and lightly syrupy. Stop before the bottom looks sticky or the soy smells dark and harsh. The final glaze should coat the fish like lacquer, not bury it.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Take the pot off the heat and let the sanma cool in its glaze. This rest matters. As the fish cools, it drinks in the seasoning and firms enough to lift cleanly. Serve at room temperature or cold, with fine threads of ginger and a sliver of yuzu peel if you have it. Rice, miso soup, and one bright vinegared vegetable are enough around it.

Chef Tips

• •Buy sanma in autumn if you can. Look for clear eyes, bright blue-silver skin, and a firm belly, with a clean sea smell and no sourness. If the fish looks tired, choose another dish. Sweet soy should polish good fish, not hide poor fish.
• •Use a wooden drop-lid, otoshibuta, if you have one. A circle of parchment with a small hole in the center does the same work: it keeps the fish bathed in seasoning without forcing you to stir.
• •Do not fillet the fish for this dish. The softened spine is part of kanroni's character, and testing it is the best way to know the simmer has done its work.
• •Use a light homemade dashi, not powder. Instant granules bring salt and a flat edge to a glaze that should taste of sanma, ginger, and shōyu.
• •This is better the next day. Cold kanroni with hot rice is a very sensible argument for patience.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the dashi up to two days ahead and keep it refrigerated.
• •Cook the sanma a day ahead if possible. Cool it in the glaze, then refrigerate it covered so the seasoning settles and the bones soften a little further.
• •The finished kanroni keeps 5 to 7 days refrigerated in a clean covered container. Use clean chopsticks each time, and keep the pieces lightly coated with glaze.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)