R e c i p e s
Sake to Yasai no Namban-zuke
(Salmon and Vegetables in Sweet Vinegar Marinade)
Preparation: 30 mins Cooking: 1 hr Standing: 30 mins
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
1
cup *Momokan
(R) Rice Vinegar1/4
cup sugar
2
tablespoons *soy sauce
1
teaspoon salt
2
*akatogarashi chile peppers or other small dried red chile pepper, stemmed and seeded
2
*Japanese eggplants or 1/2 large oval eggplant, stemmed
1
vegetable oil for deep-frying
3/4
kabocha pumpkin, seeded but not peeled, cut into 12 slices about 1/4 inch thick
1/2
cup *all-purpose flour
1
tablespoon minced parsley
Directions
In a medium pot, combine the Momokan(R) Rice Vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring. Add the chile peppers, and remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, and set it aside.
Cut each Japanese eggplant into quarters lengthwise. If you're using one large eggplant, cut it into eight pieces lengthwise. Cut the fish into 1 ½ by 3-inch pieces.
In a large, deep pot, heat 2 inches vegetable oil on medium heat. In small batches, cook the eggplant and pumpkin until slightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the vegetables on a rack.
While the vegetables are still hot, transfer them to the marinade.
Put the flour into another bowl, and dredge the salmon with it. Let the salmon stand 2 minutes.
Increase the heat of the vegetable oil to high; add the salmon in small batches, and cook it until it is light golden, about 4 to 5 minutes, maintaining the oil temperature at 350° F. Drain the salmon on a rack.
While the salmon pieces are still hot, add them to the marinade. Marinate them with the vegetables for at least an hour before serving, turning the salmon several times. The salmon and vegetables can be prepared one day in advance, and left in the marinade or stored separately, covered, in the refrigerator.
Remove the chile peppers from the marinade, and cut them into thin disks. Serve the salmon and vegetables drizzled with the marinade and garnished with the pepper disks and parsley.
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Note: Several Japanese dishes carry the word namban in their names. Namban means 'southern barbarian.' This word was applied to the Portuguese and Spanish, the first Westerners who came to Japan, during the 16th century. Besides introducing a new religion and guns, the Portuguese and Spanish brought new foods and cooking techniques. These included kabocha pumpkins, potatoes, corn, watermelons, chile peppers, figs, sugary sweets and deep-frying. Dishes prepared in namban style typically call for red chile pepper and the combined techniques of deep-frying and marinating.
If you like, you can substitute sweet potato for the kabocha pumpkin.
.* Available at Golden Country Oriental Food L.L.C.. Please check our website for more information
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Recipes source: FOOD.com
Excerpted from 'The Japanese Kitchen,' by Hiroko Shimbo (Harvard Common Press, October 2000), with permission from the publisher.
