Satsuma-age

Fish paste beaten until it turns sticky and pale, then fried twice at two temperatures.

Fish, Egg. Not vegetarian — contains fish.

Ingredients

• 700 g white fish fillet, skinned and boned
• 2 tablespoons potato starch
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg white
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 60 g green beans, finely sliced
• 20 g ginger, grated
• oil, for deep frying

Method

1. BEATEN UNTIL IT TURNS STICKY AND PALE, and there is no shortcut. The salt dissolves the fish protein and it goes from a loose mince to a glossy elastic paste that pulls away from the bowl in one mass. Ten minutes in a processor or twenty by hand. Under-beaten, the cakes are crumbly and fall apart in the oil.
2. SALT FIRST, ALONE, and beat that in before anything else. It is what makes the protein set; added with the rest it has less effect.
3. KEEP EVERYTHING COLD. The bowl in ice if you can. Warm fish paste breaks and goes grainy.
4. Dry the fish thoroughly and remove every pin bone.
5. Mince it, then beat with the salt 5 minutes, then the starch, sake, mirin, sugar and egg white, and beat 5 minutes more.
6. It should hold a peak and stretch when pulled.
7. Vegetables folded through at the END, by hand, so they stay in pieces rather than being beaten to pulp.
8. Shape into flat ovals 1.5 cm thick with wet hands. Thicker and the middle is raw when the outside is done.
9. FIRST FRY at 160C, 4 minutes, until set and pale. Out onto a rack for 3 minutes.
10. SECOND FRY at 180C, 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and puffed. Eat warm with ginger and soy, or sliced into oden.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Japan · All recipes