Sakana no karashiage to kinsai, mizuna, radisshu no aemono / karashi mustard-flavored deep-fried fish and Chinese celery, mizuna and radish

Deep-fried fish marinated in karashi mustard is tasty on its own, as is Chinese celery, mizuna and radish with bonito flakes and a tiny bit of soy sauce. When combined, you have a satisfying yet refreshing fish & vegetable dish!

<Ingredients>

140-150 g fish (145 g rockfish in photo)
1 tsp karashi mustard
1 tsp water (to mix with karashi powder; not in photo)
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp flour
Oil (for deep-frying; not in photo)

Several stalks kinsai Chinese celery
Small handful (1/4-1/3 bunch) mizuna
2 radishes
Tiny handful (2-3 tbsp) katsuobushi bonito flakes

1/4-1/2 tsp soy sauce (not in photo)


<Directions>
1.

Mix karashi and water, then mix in soy sauce. 

Cut fish into bite-size pieces.

Pour over fish, and marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring water to boil, add salt, and blanch kinsai and mizuna.

2.

Meanwhile, bring water to boil, add salt, and blanch kinsai and mizuna.

Here, Chinese celery and mizuna are blanched separately (but in the same water), as their cooking times differ.

With both vegetables, put the stem ends in boiling water first, then dip in the leaves,

Remove from boiling water immediately when leaves brighten, and chill (stop cooking) in ice water.

3.

When kinsai and mizuna are cool, squeeze out excess water, and cut into 3-4 cm.

Thinly slice radish.

4.

Squeeze out excess water from Chinese celery and mizuna once again, and place in a bowl.

Add radish, and fluff up.

Add bonito flakes, and mix well.

5.

Heat oil to deep-fry fish.
When oil is hot (very fine bubbles come up from the tips of bamboo chopsticks; the temperature should be pretty high, around 180 C/355 F or slightly higher), coat fish with flour (no need to remove soy sauce-mustard mixture from fish), and gently slip in oil.

Flip once.

When fish starts to lightly brown, raise heat somewhat, lift each piece with one end still immersed in oil to draw it back in the pot, hold for 5-10 seconds, and remove from oil.

Place on a dish lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

6.

Taste vegetables, and add a small amount (1/4-1/2 tsp) of soy sauce as necessary.

Add fish, mix well, and serve.

<Notes>

• If your fish is super fresh, marinating in karashi mustard and soy sauce beforehand is optional. If you decide not to marinate, sprinkle salt (and pepper, if you like), wait for 10+ minutes, wipe off any moisture on fish surface, coat with flour, and deep-fry.
• Adding soy sauce to vegetables should be done toward the very end. This prevents the vegetables from tasting too salty. Alternatively, add soy sauce at the table (watch that your family members or guests do not use too much).
• Extra water from vegetables would make the crust of fish unpleasantly soggy. To prevent this, make sure to squeeze out excess water from blanched veggies before mixing them with other ingredients in the bowl.
• When paired with greens that have a distinctive taste, aroma and texture, this dish is extra special. Arugula, seri water dropwort, mustard greens, mibuna, cress, and daikon  radish or kabu turnip leaves are nice choices. 

(Last updated: June 16, 2017)