Buri (Yellowtail) Teriyaki

Teriyaki Yellowtail ぶり照り焼き

Growing up in Minnesota, teriyaki chicken was a dish we had a lot as seafood was something we rarely saw unless it was canned tuna or a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. The teriyaki sauce is irresistible as it is sweet and when cooked becomes a bit caramelized.

What makes this recipe better than what I grew up with is that it includes mirin, a sweet syrup that gives a glaze to the sauce and adds umami. Be sure to look for hon-mirin at the supermarket. It is authentic mirin and is not at all like the mass produced mirin.

Buri (yellowtail) is in season this time of year. It is a fish that is farmed, but we look for the wild buri when we can find it as it has a better texture and flavor than the farmed fish.

Teriyaki is a classic sauce that can be used with seafood like salmon, tuna, or swordfish (mekajiki) as well as with chicken. This is the traditional teriyaki recipe. Easy to remember and a breeze to cook. For the chicken, we prefer to bake it in the oven after letting it marinade overnight.

Serves 4

4 filets of yellowtail (buri) (about 100 grams each)

Teriyaki Sauce:

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

4 Tablespoons saké

4 Tablespoons hon-mirin

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 shishitōgarashi green pepper (optional)

salt

flour

salad oil

Sprinkle some salt on the filets. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. This helps to get rid of any fishiness, draws out the umami in the fish, and rids it of excess liquid. After 30 minutes pat dry with a paper towel.

Make the teriyaki sauce and set aside.

Dust the filets with flour.

In a fry pan put a small amount of salad oil. Sauté the shishitō green peppers until they blister and set aside. Add the yellowtail and cook over medium heat until both sides are grilled, but not cooked all the way through.

Wipe the fry pan with a paper towel to get rid of any excess oil. Add the teriyaki sauce and slowly bring up the heat until the sauce comes to a boil. Turn off the heat and serve. Garnish with the shishitōgreen peppers.

* Be careful as the sugar and mirin in the sauce can burn.

* The flour will help to thicken the teriyaki sauce.