Nanbanzuke Recipe

Nanbanzuke is marinated fried fish in vinegar sauce with vegetables.  It is a deep-fried dish, but, because of the vinegar in the sauce, this has a rather refreshing flavor.  Nanbanzuke is more home-cooking than restaurant food, so it may not be found at Japanese restaurants in the US very often.

“Nanban” means “foreign,” specifically indicating Portugal and Spain, coming from a period back in the 17th century when Japan often traded with these countries.  During this period, new cooking methods such as deep frying and ingredients like hot pepper and onions were introduced to Japan.  “Zuke” (or “dzuke”) means marinated.  The origin of Nanbanzuke is said to be from “Escabeche,” also marinated fried fish with vegetables of Spain and Portugal.  After hundreds of years, Japanese people consider Nanbanzuke a part of Japanese cuisine and don’t even think of it as originally from Europe today.

In Nanbanzuke, mackerel is the typical fish used, but salmon is also good in the dish.  The fish pieces are coated with flour or starch before being deep-fried because the surface of the fish will absorb the sauce well when prepared that way.  Vegetables in Nanbanzuke are often thinly sliced onions, carrots, green or red peppers, but larger pieces of Kabocha pumpkin and egg plants are delicious too.

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5 from 1 vote

Nanbanzuke Recipe

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: mackerel

Servings: 4

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Ingredients

• 2 mackerel fillets
• salt
• 2 Tbsp Katakuriko potato starch
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 inch medium carrot
• 2 green onions
• 1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Dashi
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Mirin
• 1 Tbsp Sake
• 1-2 chili pods
• deep-frying oil

Instructions

• Liberally sprinkle salt over fish, and leave for 15 minutes. Remove any moisture from the fish with a paper towel. Cut fillets into 5-6 pieces each and coat lightly in Katakuriko.
• Slice onion very thinly. Cut carrot into thin matchsticks. Slice green onions thinly and diagonally. Put all the vegetables together in a glass dish or other heat-proof medium-deep container.
• In a pot, mix rice vinegar, Dashi, sugar, Soy Sauce, Mirin, Sake, and chili pods. Cook to a boil and remove from heat. Pour the hot sauce over vegetables.
• Deep fry the fish at 350F (180C) for 3-5 minutes. Immediately add to the vinegar sauce, and coat with the sauce.

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