Sanma Kabayaki Rice Bowl (Sweet Soy-Glazed Saury)
さんまのかば焼き丼【オカフーズ版】 · Sanma no Kabayaki Don
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Kabayaki is the sweet, glossy soy glaze most people know from grilled eel, but in Japan it is just as popular on sanma, the slender Pacific saury that comes into season in autumn. Here the fish is lightly floured, fried until crisp, then rolled in a simple mirin-and-soy sauce and served over warm rice, so the flavor is mild and the texture is easy for small children to eat. This is the version we make with the frozen saury from Okafoods, a supplier of frozen fish widely used in school lunch kitchens, so it goes straight from the freezer into the fryer with no filleting needed. The rice soaks up the extra sauce, which is exactly the part kids go back for.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 67.5 gfrozen Pacific saury (sanma)A slender, oily fish that is an autumn favorite in Japan. Substitute: Mackerel, sardines, or herring.
- 2.3 gflour
- 165 gwarm cooked rice
Seasonings
- 9 gvegetable oil
- 1.5 gwater
- 0.6 gmirinMirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
- 1.8 gsugar
- 3 gsoy sauce
- 0.8 gsakeSake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- 0.8 gwhite sesame seeds
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- frozen Pacific saury (sanma) (冷凍サンマ)
- A slender, oily fish that is an autumn favorite in Japan. Substitute: Mackerel, sardines, or herring.
- mirin (みりん)
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) contains about 14% alcohol; "mirin-style seasoning" has little or no alcohol. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
- sake (酒)
- Sake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
Directions
- 1
Dust the frozen saury all over with flour.
- 2
Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F) and deep-fry the saury for about 7 minutes, turning it as it cooks. (If you are using fresh saury filleted into three pieces, fry it at 170°C for 3 to 5 minutes.)
- 3
Put the water, mirin, sugar, soy sauce and sake in a separate pot and bring to a boil over low heat.
- 4
Add the fried saury and turn it in the sauce until it is coated all over.
- 5
Place the saury on top of the warm rice, then spoon over the sauce left in the pot and sprinkle with the white sesame seeds.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 555 kcal | 1110 kcal | 555 kcal |
| Protein | 17 g | 33.9 g | 17 g |
| Fat | 27.2 g | 54.3 g | 27.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 66.4 g | 132.9 g | 66.4 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 34.5 mg | 69 mg | 34.5 mg |
| Iron | 1.2 mg | 2.4 mg | 1.2 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 555 kcal | 17 g | 27.2 g | 66.4 g | 0.8 g | 34.5 mg | 1.2 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 1110 kcal | 33.9 g | 54.3 g | 132.9 g | 1.5 g | 69 mg | 2.4 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
Cooking for bigger kids? See the elementary-school portion of this recipe.
