Nanbanzuke

also called 南蛮漬け · nanbanzuke · nanbanzuke · なんばんづけ · 鯵の南蛮漬け · aji no nanbanzuke · fried fish in sweet vinegar · Japanese escabeche

The table

Hot fish into cold vinegar, so the marinade is made first and left waiting.
1 lb(450 g; small whole fish, gutted and gilled, or small fillets)horse mackereldust and fry 4 minslide in hot, then chill 2 hr
1/4 cup(30 g)potato starch
2 cups(475 mL; at 340°F / 170°C)neutral oil
1/2 cup(120 mL)rice vinegarwarm 2 min, pour over the vegetables
1/2 cup(120 mL)dashi
3 Tbs(45 mL)soy sauce
2 Tbs(30 mL)mirin
2 Tbssugar
1(sliced paper-thin)onion
1/2(in matchsticks)carrot
1(seeded, in rings)dried red chile
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.14 things to get out.

Pans and tools

Before anything else

2dust and fry 4 min

3warm 2 min, pour over the vegetables

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
2 hr 4 min
Needs you
about 6 minthe rest you can walk away from
If you get it wrong
Forgiving — the fish goes into the marinade hot; cold fish dropped into cold vinegar never takes it in and stays a separate crisp thing

  1. warm 2 min, pour over the vegetables

    2 minneeds you(we think)from the start

  2. dust and fry 4 min

    4 minneeds youfrom the start

  3. slide in hot, then chill 2 hr

    2 hrwalk away4 min in

You'll need dish · saucepan

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Nanbanzuke
>> category: Fried & Crispy
>> tags: japanese, fish, vinegar, fried, make ahead, summer
>> counters: Japanese Home Cooking
>> aka: 南蛮漬け, nanbanzuke, nanbanzuke, なんばんづけ, 鯵の南蛮漬け, aji no nanbanzuke, fried fish in sweet vinegar, Japanese escabeche
>> pairs-with: dashi, gohan, kinpira-gobo
>> servings: 4
>> time: 2 hr 40 min
>> slack: forgiving — the fish goes into the marinade hot; cold fish dropped into cold vinegar never takes it in and stays a separate crisp thing

>> step: Hot fish into cold vinegar, so the marinade is made first and left waiting.
Hot fish into cool vinegar is the operation this dish is built on, and it has to happen while the fish is still spitting.

>> step: warm 2 min, pour over the vegetables
Warm @rice vinegar{1/2%cup}(120 mL), @dashi{1/2%cup}(120 mL), @soy sauce{3%Tbs}(45 mL), @mirin{2%Tbs}(30 mL) and @sugar{2%Tbs} in a #saucepan{} ~warm{2%min} until the sugar has gone, then pour it over @onion{1}(sliced paper-thin), @carrot{1/2}(in matchsticks) and @dried red chile{1}(seeded, in rings) laid in a shallow #dish{}.

>> step: dust and fry 4 min
Dust @horse mackerel{1%lb}(450 g; small whole fish, gutted and gilled, or small fillets) in @potato starch{1/4%cup}(30 g) and fry it in @neutral oil{2%cups}(475 mL; at 340°F / 170°C) ~fry{4%min}, until it is pale gold and the small bones have gone crisp enough to eat.

>> step: slide in hot, then chill 2 hr
Slide @&(~1)fried fish{} straight into @&(2)nanbanzu{} while it is still hissing, turn each piece once so it is covered, and ~chill{2%hr} in the fridge before eating it.