Haze Tsukudani (Tamari-Simmered Sea Goby)
Quick answer
- Active time
- 85 min
- Waiting
- See the steps
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Two rounds of refrigerator drying, one before an unseasoned grilling and one after, firm small sea gobies enough to keep their shape through a long final simmer in sweet tamari broth.
Read more
Grilling also cuts surface moisture and fishy aroma. The result, a preserved side from the Mikawa Bay coast of Aichi, is nearly dry, concentrated in soybean savor and sweetness, and eaten a little at a time with rice or drinks.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Scale 200g whole sea gobies and remove the gills and guts.
Dissolve 30g salt in 1L cold water, swish the fish briefly, rinse once in clean cold water, and dry every cavity thoroughly.
- 2
Arrange the fish without touching on a sanitized wire rack over a tray.
Refrigerate uncovered for 6 to 8 hours, until the surface feels dry and the flesh firms.
- 3
Preheat a fish grill over medium heat and arrange the gobies without overlapping.
Grill unseasoned for 8 to 10 minutes total, turning once, and confirm the thickest flesh reaches at least 63°C.
- 4
Cool the grilled fish on a clean rack for 20 minutes, then return the rack and tray to the refrigerator.
Dry uncovered for 8 to 12 hours, until the exterior is firm and no longer tacky.
- 5
In a pot that holds the fish in one layer, combine 200ml water, 50ml sake, 50ml mirin, 50ml tamari, and 3 tablespoons sugar.
Bring to a boil and dissolve the sugar fully.
- 6
Arrange the dried gobies in one layer in the liquid and cover closely with damp parchment.
Simmer over very low heat for 35 to 45 minutes, removing the drop lid for the last 10 minutes until almost no liquid remains.
- 7
Turn off the heat and leave the pot undisturbed for 15 minutes so the fish firms.
Lift each piece with a wide spatula, cool completely, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate at 4°C or below.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- 일본 농림수산성 うちの郷土料理
「あいちの郷土料理レシピ50選」 · Checked: 2026-08-11
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