Saikyozuke

I try to keep saikyozuke available in my fridge most of the time. I think this miso based preservation is great for rich and fatty fishes. According to one One Cookbook, one of my favorite Japanese food bloggers, this originated from Kyoto and made from a sweetened miso named saiyko miso. I highly recommend checking out her post here for details on this form of preservation.

My earliest memory having a dish made from this was miso butterfish back in Hawaii. Don’t get confused with the name butterfish. Many different regions will call different species butterfish. Even in Hawaii, the butterfish there is actually black cod like what’s common in Japan. For some reason, I have a really hard time finding this fish in Chicago so I’ve have had to use other fishes. I’ve found any kind of blueback fish like mackerels or sardines work great with this. I also really like buying salmon heads for the low price and selecting the ones that come with a large collar to preserve with this. I’ve also made this hamachi kama (collars) and this is really nice if you can find them.

I see a lot of recipes online that is essentially saikyozuke, but call it miso glazed. Personally, It’s a form of preservation that also seasons which is very different from a glaze, so don’t get it confused. The best thing to do is to learn how to say it in Japanese.

When using this method of seasoning and preservation, just before cooking, it’s best to wipe off as much of the saikyozuke as possible. There’s quite a lot of sugar in it and it doesn’t have a lot of water in it so it burns very easily.

Just out of laziness, I like to make a larger batch and save it in the fridge for when I need it. When you make the marinade, it takes some time for it to cool down before applying, so if you don’t plan ahead of time this can be very annoying to deal with the long wait time. The longest I’ve kept a batch around was for 6 months before using it all and I’m sure it can keep longer. All the ingredients in this are ingredients for preserving, but if in doubt use a smell test, look for any signs of bacteria or mold growth, and do a tiny taste test.

You can also adjust the proportions to find something that you like as well. Note that different brands of miso will taste slightly different from each other so adjust accordingly.

RECIPE:

1 1/2 c. shiro miso
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. mirin
1/4 c. cooking sake

In a pot, add the sugar, mirin, and cooking sake. Bring this to a boil over medium heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar and to prevent any burning.

Once this boils, reduce the heat to medium low to a gentle boil. Reduce for about 4-5 minutes to boil off the alcohol content. To check when the alcohol is gone, waft the vapor to your face while you take a deep breath through your nose. If you feel a slight burning sensation at the back of your sinus, this means that alcohol is still being boiled out. Once you no longer sense this or it is minimal, then it is ready for the next step.

Reduce the heat to low and add the miso. (Note when measuring miso, it is very thick. When filling a measuring cup, make sure to press the miso down to the bottom of the cut before adding more since there can be big air pockets.)

Using a whisk, gently mix to dissolve and bring the heat back to medium low. When the mixture is smooth and starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low and let this simmer for 1 minute.

Turn off the heat and remove from the stove. Let this cook to room temperature before storing in a jar in the fridge. This can keep for at least 6 months.