NITSUKE THE JAPANESE SIMMER DISH

The Japanese dish Nitsuke (Nit-soo-kay) is generally a fish filet of any kind, that is simmered in a liquid made of sake, mirin, soy sauce, ginger, scallions. Like most Japanese sauces, it is sweet to the chef's content. I had nitsuke for the first time when I was much younger, in a restaurant in Wailuku, Maui called Tokyo Tei, home of the famous tempuras.

I actually do not remember the fish I had for the nitsuke, but it was very good, very healthy, no fats except for the omegas found in fish. And served with a serving of white rice, it is very filling, the cooking liquid can be poured over the rice, and whatever fish you decide to use, will flavor the sauce. Japanese style cooking, to me is much more clean, meaning it is less greasy, or dense than other Asian cooking. Makes sense? In this blog let's do a salmon nitsuke, very easy, anyone can do it.

INGREDIENTS

1- 8oz. filet of salmon (skin on or off)

1 cup of inexpensive sake

1/2 cup of dark soy sauce

1/2 cup of mirin

1 inch ginger sliced thin

2 end of scallions about 2 inches each

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 10" skillet (I like stainless steel with a lid), over medium high heat, add in all of the ingredients except the salmon filet. Bring to a boil, then lower to a high simmer.

2. Place the salmon filet into the boiling liquid skin side down, or if the skin is off, place where the skin was on down into the liquid.

3. If your salmon filet is uneven, which most likely it will be, make sure you use a spoon to scoop over the fatter portion of the fish filet. 

4. Cover the skillet, lower the temperature to low, and simmer the covered skillet for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, spoon out the salmon filet (It may be tender, and it may fall apart, do the best that you can to keep it intact) into a shallow bowl type dish, then pour some or all of the cooking liquid into the same dish. Garnish with minced scallions, serve this with white rice.

Salmon Nitsuke simmering on stove

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