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Salmon Nanbanzuke
4.6 from 50 votes

Salmon Nanbanzuke

Salmon Nanbanzuke features pieces of salmon coated in potato starch, pan-fried until crisp, then marinated in a tangy Nanban sauce made from rice vinegar, dashi, soy sauce, sugar, sake, and mirin. Accompanied by lightly sautéed sliced onion, carrot, and green bell pepper, the dish offers a balance of crispy fish with a flavorful vinegar-based marinade and tender vegetables.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 377 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • ½ carrot (3 oz, 85 g)
  • ½ onion (6 oz, 170 g)
  • ½ green bell pepper (2 oz, 57 g; I use Japanese piman bell pepper)
  • ½ cup neutral oil (divided, for cooking the vegetables and salmon)
  • 1 lb salmon
  • ½ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
  • ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 4 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
For the Nanban Marinade
  • 1 cup dashi use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi, Japanese soup stock
  • ¾ cup rice vinegar unseasoned
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce you can use regular soy sauce, but the final color of the dish will be darker, usukuchi (light-colored
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp sake (I used Sho Chiku Bai Classic Junmai Sake)
  • 2 Tbsp mirin (I used Takara Mirin)
For the Garnish (Optional)
  • lemon slices
  • parsley

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Nanban Marinade
  1. In a rectangular container with a lid, combine ¾ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned), 1 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), 3 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce or regular soy sauce, and 3 Tbsp sugar.
  2. Add 2 Tbsp sake and 2 Tbsp mirin.
  3. Cut ½ carrot into 2-inch pieces and slice them into slabs.
  4. Then, cut the slabs into julienned strips. Thinly slice ½ onion widthwise (to give texture and keep the onion‘s shape after cooking).
  5. Remove the seeds from ½ green bell pepper and cut it into julienned strips.
  6. Heat a large frying pan and when it’s hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Add the onion and sauté.
  7. Once the onions are coated with oil, add the carrot and bell pepper.
  8. When the vegetables are coated with oil and wilted but still crisp (don’t overcook), transfer them to the marinade. Set aside.
To Prepare the Salmon
  1. If your 1 lb salmon has skin, you can easily remove it by holding the salmon with a knife in one hand and slowly pulling the skin from the corner with the other hand (see images below). Salmon skin is really delicious when it‘s cooked until crispy. I‘ll show you how to prepare it below. For now, set aside the skin on a plate, cover it with plastic, and refrigerate.
  2. Once you‘ve removed the skin, cut the salmon into a few blocks.
  3. Then cut each block into bite-sized pieces, roughly ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick.
  4. Season the salmon with ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
  5. In the same frying pan, heat the remaining ⅞ Tbsp neutral oil over medium heat.
  6. Sprinkle 4 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch over the salmon and coat well.
  7. Remove the excess starch.
  8. When the oil is hot, add the salmon in the pan (do not crowd the pan as the oil temperature will drop too quickly). Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon). You can use a splatter screen to avoid oil splatter.
  9. Once the salmon is cooked, shake off the oil well and transfer the salmon while it‘s hot to the marinade.
  10. Continue frying the rest of the salmon.
  11. When you finish frying all the salmon, put the vegetables in the marinade on top of the salmon so the fish is completely submerged in the marinade.
  12. Cover with the lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or preferably overnight.
To Serve
  1. To crisp the salmon skin (optional): Sprinkle salt on the salmon skin and bake at 325ºF (160ºC) in the oven or toaster oven for 30 minutes, or until it‘s crispy. The skin will cook in its own oil. Once it‘s crispy, break it into smaller pieces and use them as a garnish when serving.
  2. Serve the vegetables from the marinade on a plate and top with the salmon.
  3. Garnish with lemon slices, parsley, and baked salmon skin. Serve it chilled.
To Store
  1. You can keep the dish in the refrigerator for up to 5–6 days.

Nutrition Information

Calories 377kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 19g (6%) Protein 24g (48%) Fat 21g (32%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Cholesterol 62mg (21%) Sodium 434mg (18%) Potassium 796mg (17%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 3651IU (73%) Vitamin C 16mg (18%) Calcium 40mg (4%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 377

% Daily Value*

Calories 377kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Protein 24g 48%
Fat 21g 32%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 434mg 18%
Potassium 796mg 17%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 3651IU 73%
Vitamin C 16mg 18%
Calcium 40mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.