Azara (Fish and Aged Cabbage Sake-Lees Stew)

Quick answer

Total time: 70 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 5

About this dish

Azara is a fish stew from Kesennuma in Miyagi, commonly eaten in spring after Chinese cabbage has fermented through the winter into a distinctly sour aged pickle.

Flesh and scraps from fatty ocean perch are simmered with water before the parboiled cabbage is added. The cabbage is rinsed lightly so that some of its saltiness remains. Sake lees and miso are then dissolved into the pot and the stew cooks gently over low heat. The result combines the acidity of the fermented cabbage with a rich fish broth and the mellow body of sake lees, and it may be served cooled or reheated.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
aged pickled Chinese cabbage	400	g
ocean perch flesh and scraps	450	g
water	5	cup
sake lees	150	g
miso	3.5	tbsp

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

5 steps

1

Season

Cut the aged pickled cabbage into bite-size pieces.

Parboil it briefly, then rinse lightly in cool water without washing away all of its saltiness.
2

Control

Place the ocean perch flesh, head, bones, and other scraps in a pot and add 5 cups of water.

Bring the liquid to a full boil over medium heat.
3

Control

When the broth boils, add the parboiled pickled cabbage.

Once the pot returns to a simmer, lower the heat and cook gently until the cabbage absorbs the fish broth.
4

Control

Ladle out some warm broth and use it to dissolve the sake lees and miso until smooth.

Return the mixture to the pot and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally so the bottom does not catch.
5

Finish

Turn off the heat when the cabbage is tender, the fish is fully cooked, and the sake lees have given the broth a thicker body.

Serve hot or let it cool before serving.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: A Kesennuma dish using sour cabbage fermented from winter into spring
Finish cue: Turn off the heat when the cabbage is tender, the fish is fully cooked, and the sake lees have given the broth a thicker body.
Storage and reheating: The result combines the acidity of the fermented cabbage with a rich fish broth and the mellow body of sake lees, and it may be served cooled or reheated.