This delicious recipe for Nikkei Sea Bream with Yuzu and Green Jalapeno Rice is from Luiz Hara’s
first cookbook, Nikkei Cuisine: Japanese Food the South American Way.
Read our review of Nikkei Cuisine by Luiz Hara.
Nikkei Sea Bream with Yuzu & Green Jalapeño Rice
Tai gohan (sea-bream rice) is a classic of Japanese home cooking and is a dish I have always loved. It can be made in a rice cooker or in a clay pot or elegant pan to be served at the table for added wow. The fish is cooked over the rice, imparting a delicious flavour to the dish. Here I give my Nikkei interpretation, by adding a dressing of olive oil, yuzu juice and jalapeño green chillies, mixed into the rice just before serving. It’s like traditional Japan embracing the spice of South America.Cooked in a Clay Pot
Servings 8 people
Ingredients
- 600 g short-grain white rice
- 550 ml dashi (Japanese fish and seaweed stock, or use water)
- 100 ml mirin
- 100 ml light soy sauce
- 2 ½ cm piece of root ginger , peeled and cut into fine julienne strips
- 4 sea bream fillets , scaled and pin-boned
- sprinkle sansho pepper
For the yuku & green jalapeño dressing
- 1 green jalapeño chilli deseeded and finely chopped
- 4 tbsp spring onions , finely chopped
- 4 tbsp yuzu juice
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Wash the rice in a bowl with plenty of fresh water using a circular motion with your hand.
- Drain the water and repeat this rinsing three or four times until the water runs clear. Let the rice drain in a colander for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the soaking and cooking broth. Combine the dashi or water, mirin and light soy sauce and set aside. Soak the drained rice in the cooking broth in a clay pot or a rice cooker (see below) for 30 minutes.
- Rice cooker method: After the soaking and before cooking, scatter half of the ginger strips over the rice, lay the sea bream fillets on top and turn the rice cooker on. It should take about 15–20 minutes to cook. Once the rice cooker’s alarm beeps indicating that the rice is cooked, let the rice rest for at least 15 minutes before opening the rice cooker.
- Clay pot method: Tightly wrap a tea-towel (dish towel) over the lid of a Japanese clay pot (known as donabe) or if you do not have one you can use a heavy casserole pan (Dutch oven). After the soaking and before cooking, scatter half of the ginger strips over the rice, lay the sea bream fillets on the top (I like to arrange the fillets to look like an open flower), place the lid on top and bring to the boil. Once boiling, bring the temperature down to the lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and without opening the lid (don’t open the lid at any stage of the cooking process), rest for a further 15 minutes.
- Up to this stage, this rice is a traditional Japanese tai gohan or Japanese sea bream rice and can be served as it is – it will taste delicious. But for added va-va-voom, I like serving this with a yuzu and green jalapeño dressing, which I pour over the fish and rice just before serving. To make the dressing just put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together well.
- Take the unopened clay pot to the table, open it in front of your guests and, if desired, carefully remove the skin of the fish. Pour the dressing over the fish and rice then using a wide wooden spoon, fluff the rice well, breaking the fish into tiny pieces and mixing it together with the dressing into the rice. Mix thoroughly. If you are using a rice cooker, follow all the above steps but do not take the rice cooker to the table! Make all the necessary preparations and serve the rice in individual bowls at the table.
- To serve, place the rice in individual rice bowls, top with the remaining julienned ginger in the centre of each bowl followed by a sprinkle of sansho pepper and serve immediately.
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Recipe and images extracted from Nikkei Cuisine: Japanese Food the South American Way by Luiz Hara. Photography by Lisa Linder. Kavey Eats received a review copy from Jacqui Small . Nikkei Cuisine is currently available from Amazon UK for £19.99 (RRP £25) (at time of posting).
Please leave a comment - I love hearing from you!27 Comments to "Luiz Hara’s Nikkei Sea Bream with Yuzu & Green Jalapeno Rice"
I like sushi
Looks lovely! Presently I am rather addicted to Okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancakes)
Chicken Enchiladas
Leave a comment telling me about your favourite Japanese or South American dish. . . . . .the only one l’ve tried SO FAR . . . . . sushi
It’s funny, we’ve got so used to Japanese food over here, but I somehow just don’t associate it with the USA.
Just realised my mistake, but South America is even more of my radar!
this was possibly the best book I’ve had in the post this year!
This sounds very intriguing. I love Japanese food and don’t know much about South American food – they sound unlikely partners but then again sometimes the unlikeliest fusions bring the most amazing results.
My partner makes an amazing Japanese curry mmmm…..
Oh I love Luiz and his food! I definitely agree that his supperclub is the most sought after in London, and I love his beautiful book. I can’t wait to visit his supperclub again next month for N’s birthday 🙂
This looks like it is so nice, I will definetly give it a try with hubby, Our anniversary is coming up, might do it for then!
Love the flavours in this dish Kavey, the book sounds fab:-)
I like a good Katsu curry
I have been hearing about his supperclub but not yet been luck to make it to one. One day soon hopefully.
This looks like a fantastic book and what a mouth watering recipe!
I have a great fondness for Takoyaki & I even bought a Takoyaki pan to make it at home. I’ve followed The London Foodie blog for quite a while. The book sounds great.
Apart from Luiz’s gorgeous cuisine (spaghetti with caviar anyone?) it’s got to be yellowtail tiradito from UNI restaurant in Victoria. Yummy!
Sushi!
Okonomiyaki
Ooh my favourite Japanese dish has to be yellowtail sashimi, or black cod! They are both beautiful, so delicate and flavoursome. Wonderful giveaway 🙂 Rosie xx
Chili Con Carne
Sushi
First time I tries sushi was in Los Angles visiting my old school friend. It was very different but strangely pleasant.
Kamameshi 🙂
Chicken enchiladas!
I’m impsdrsee. You’ve really raised the bar with that.
I’ve also heard so much about this book…one of these days I need to purchase it! Food has been such a comfort in the past little while! I must change my focus, but it is Hard!!!