Isaki no nitsuke（イサキの煮つけ）
A dish of isaki (chicken grunt) simmered in soy sauce. Nitsuke is a representative Japanese dish.
The type of fish is not limited to isaki; sea bream, Spanish mackerel, right-eye flounder, etc. may also be used.
Fish dishes tend to always be the same, but I saw chicken grunt at the supermarket and tried it for the first time. The meat was soft and delicious.
However, since it has many small bones, it may be difficult for children and the elderly to eat.
There are several tricks to making Nitsuke delicious.
➀When making Nitsuke, make sure to use fresh fish and cook it in a short time.
②I’m concerned about the smell of blue fish such as mackerel and yellowtail, so I pour boiling water over them before adding them to the broth. The process of soaking the fish in hot water is called “shimofuri”, and the blood and slime that cause the fish’s odor are washed off. Ginger have similar effects.
③Place the fish in the boiling broth. This is to coagulate the proteins on the surface of the fish through heat denaturation and prevent the internal flavor from leaking out.
④Nitsuke never turns the fish over during cooking to prevent it from falling apart. Make a slit in the top and pour the sauce over it so that the flavor spreads evenly.
⑤Also, in order to get a good flavor in a short time, it is important not to use too much water.
What kind of food is Isaki(chicken grunt) ⁇
There are many different types of white fish, and Isaki is one of them.
The flesh is white and similar to red sea bream, but it is softer and has more fat than red sea bream. It can be eaten in a variety of ways, including sashimi, grilled fish, boiled fish, and fried fish.
Isaki is a saltwater fish that lives in rocky reefs along the coast of East Asia, and adults reach a total length of 45 cm.
The season is from around May to July. Isaki is carnivorous and preys on small fish, crustaceans, polychaetes, etc.
Isaki’s English name is “Chicken grunt”.
This is said to be because the dorsal fin resembles a chicken’s crest.
Grunt is a word that refers to the sound of a grunt, and this comes from the grunting sound that the Isaki makes when it is caught.
The commonly known kanji notation is “伊佐木”, but it is also sometimes written as 鶏魚”. This translates into English as Chicken fish.
I don’t know which country first named them, but it’s an interesting phenomenon that both names come from chickens.
About nitsuke
Nitsuke, nishime, and nizakana are all types of simmered dishes(nimono). All of these dishes are made by infusing the ingredients with the flavor of soy sauce and sugar.
“Nitsuke”: A cooking method in which ingredients are simmered in a small amount of broth in a short time.
This cooking method is suitable for fish because its flesh is soft and easily falls apart when cooked.
Because it is simmered for a short time, the flavor cannot penetrate to the center of the ingredients.
Therefore, the broth is placed on a plate along with the ingredients, and the ingredients are soaked in the broth as it is eaten.
It is best to boil the broth until it thickens slightly.
”Nishime”: A cooking method in which ingredients such as vegetables and konjac are simmered until the broth evaporates. It is best to use light soy sauce for white ingredients such as taro.
“Nizakana”: A fish dish that is simmered for a long time. A cooking method used for fish with many small bones, such as sardines.
In everyday life, Nitsuke and Nizakana are not very strictly distinguished.
NUTRITION FACTS of Isaki fish nitsuke recipe：Braised chicken grunt in soy sauce
174kcal Protein 12.2g Fat 3.4g Carbs 19g Salt equivalent 3.8g
INGREDIENTS for Isaki fish nitsuke recipe：Braised chicken grunt in soy sauce
- chicken grunt 130g
- ginger 5g
- ☆soy sauce 25g
- ☆sugar 10g
- ☆mirin 10g
- ☆sake 20g
- ☆water 100g
I wrote about soy sauce, mirin, and sake in this article. 👉 About Soy sauce ＆ mirin & sake
Isaki fish nitsuke recipe：Braised chicken grunt in soy sauce COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
①Remove the scales and internal organs of the isaki.
In Japan, if you ask, supermarket staff will remove the scales and internal organs from the fish for you.
②Make a cross-shaped incision on the isaki. The purpose of making a slit in the top of the fish is to allow the flavor of the soy sauce soup to soak in.
③Slice the ginger.
④ Add soy sauce, sugar, sake, water, and ginger to the pot.
⑤Bring the broth to a boil.
⑥Add the isaki to the broth.
⑦Cover with aluminum foil and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. （This process is called “otoshibuta”.）
Instead of covering the entire pan with aluminum foil, cover the fish with aluminum foil.
The purpose of covering the fish is to allow the broth to circulate to the top of the fish, and to prevent the fish from shaking and losing its shape.
⑧Remove the aluminum foil, scoop out the broth with a spoon, pour it over the surface, and simmer for a few minutes.
⑨When the broth becomes thick, turn off the heat.
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