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Tai no nitsuke — Japanese simmered sea bream with a slice of ginger in sweet soy sauce on a square plate

Tai no Nitsuke (Japanese Simmered Sea Bream)

Sea bream fillets simmered in a sweet soy sauce, sake, and mirin broth with sliced ginger under a drop lid, then basted as the broth reduces to a glossy glaze. A classic Japanese home-style fish dish served with rice.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 sea bream fillets skin on; or red snapper / porgy
  • 1 knob ginger thinly sliced
  • 100 ml water broth
  • 50 ml sake broth
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce broth
  • 2 1/2 tbsp mirin broth
  • 1 tbsp sugar broth
  • 1/2 green onion optional, finely shredded and soaked in water for garnish

Method
 

  1. Pat the fillets dry and cut a shallow cross into the skin. Thinly slice the ginger.
  2. Put the water, sake, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a frying pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the fish skin-side up with the ginger.
  3. Cover with a drop lid and the pan lid, reduce to low, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes depending on thickness.
  4. Remove both lids and keep spooning the broth over the fish until it reduces to half or less and looks glossy. Watch closely at the end so the sugar does not burn.
  5. Transfer the fish to plates with a wide spatula, spoon over the sauce, and add the simmered ginger (and shredded green onion if using).