Simmered White Fish (Shiromi Sakana no Nitsuke) 日式醬煮白身魚

Shiromi Sakana no Nitsuke is a classic Japanese dish featuring white fish fillets simmered in a savory-sweet sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. The fish becomes tender and absorbs the rich flavors, often garnished with fresh ginger and green onions.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 2 white fish fillets (e.g., cod, snapper, sea bream), about 300-400g total
• 1 knob fresh ginger, about 30g, thinly sliced
• 200ml water
• 100ml sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 100ml mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 50ml soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced, for garnish

Steps

1. Score both sides of the white fish fillets with a knife and pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Thinly slice the fresh ginger.
3. In a shallow pot or large pan, combine the water, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Add the sliced ginger.
4. Bring the liquid mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
5. Carefully place the white fish fillets into the simmering sauce. Reduce the heat to low.
6. Cover the pot with an otoshibuta (Japanese drop lid) or a piece of aluminum foil with a small hole in the center. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce, until the fish is cooked through and flaky.
7. Once cooked, carefully transfer the fish fillets to serving plates. If the sauce is too thin, you can remove the fish and reduce the sauce slightly over higher heat until it thickens to your desired consistency.
8. Pour the simmered sauce over the fish. Garnish with thinly sliced green onion and serve immediately with steamed rice.

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