Salmon Marinated with Nanban Sauce Recipe
Nanbanzuke is marinated fried fish in a delicious citrus, soy sauce-based vinaigrette. It is a deep-fried dish but the Nanban sauce gives it a light and refreshing taste. A great summer dish that can be made in advance, it can even be served cold. Nanban means foreign and this dish is originally from Portugal and Spain, brought to Japan in the 17th century. The recipe bears similarities to Escabeche. Use the Le Creuset Signature Shallow Casserole for deep frying the salmon. It is ideal as it keeps a good consistent oil temperature that produces a crispy and light deep-fried salmon.
Ingredients
- 1 carrot
- 1 – 2 red onion, sliced
- 4 salmon fillets
- A pinch of salt
- Corn flour (for dusting)
For the Nanban sauce
- 200ml kombu dashi (Stock) (10cm x 10cm dried kelp + 500ml water)
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 100ml rice vinegar
- 4 tablespoons mirin
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2/3 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons yuzu juice or lemon juice
To garnish
- Chopped chives or spring onion
Method
- To make the kombu dashi, wipe the kombu/kelp with a clean cloth (the kombu/kelp shouldn't be washed). Put the water in a pot and soak the kombu for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Heat it up slowly until the water comes to a boil, take out the kombu and remove the stock from the heat and put to one side.
- Slice the onions very thinly and cut the carrots into juliennes.
- Place all the marinade sauce ingredients; kombu dashi, sugar, mirin, rice vinegar and yuzu juice into a pot and bring to just before the boil, then add the sliced carrot and onion. Pour the sauce into a deep-sided dish.
- Lightly sprinkle a pinch of salt over the salmon and leave for 10 minutes, then pat dry with kitchen paper or cloth.
- Cut the salmon into 3cm cubes and dust with the corn flour. Deep fry the salmon at 170°C in the shallow casserole for 3-5 minutes, then remove from the oil and put directly into the Nanban sauce. Let marinate for at least a couple hours (some Japanese chefs will leave it for up to a few days).
- For the garnish, sprinkle chopped chives or spring onions on top before serving in the casserole.
Cook's notes
Try different types of fish such as mackerel, cod, or sardines. Chicken or vegetables can also be used.
Yuzu juice is normally found in bottles at the local supermarket or online.
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