RECIPE: KASUZUKE FISH/MEAT WITH MISO

Smoky, grilled fish smothered in an umami marinade - try kasuzuke for your next dinner or barbecue!

Kasuzuke is a traditional Japanese dish where fish or meat are marinated in a sake kasu (sake lees) marinade called kasudoko. Sake kasu (sake lees) is the by-product made from creating sake and is an ingredient used in many dishes. It gives many Japanese meat and vegetable dishes a delicious umami depth.

The Junmai Daiginjo Sake Kasu (Lees) powder has a slightly fruity taste and will give your dish the perfect amount of umami flavor. The sake kasu will also bring out the flavors in the dash of sake. Sprinkle the sake kasu into your miso and mirin (Japanese cooking rice wine) mixture for a mouthwatering marinade!

This dish is also enhanced by the miso paste, made from fermented soybeans. Miso is most famous in Japanese miso soup but it is also popularly used in marinades. Miso is salty, savory, and is the perfect paste to soak into the protein of your choice! White miso is recommended for this dish but feel free to use any miso paste available in your local grocery store.

This kauzuke recipe shows you how to make a simple dish that is easy to pop onto the grill at your next gathering or for your next meal. This recipe is flexible enough to use different types of meats or fish and it is your choice!

Simply sprinkle your meat or fish with salt and sake, marinate for up to two days, and then grill to perfection. You can even use an oven to bake this dish if a grill is unavailable!

The resulting dish is full of rich umami flavor with a slightly sweet, charcoal taste. Is it the perfect dish to share during a hot summer barbecue!

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 servings of fish (e.g., salmon, cod, etc.) or meat (e.g., beef filet, pork loin, chicken thigh, etc.)
• Pinch of salt
• Dash of sake
• 150g miso (white miso is preferred but any miso will work)
• 4 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp Junmai Daiginjo Sake Kasu (Lees) Powder

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the fish/meat with salt and sake and let sit for about an hour.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the miso, mirin and sake kasu. This is called kasudoko. 
3. Marinate the fish/meat from step 1 in the kasudoko from step 2 for 2 nights in the fridge. Wash off the kasudoko and grill/bake.

Introduction courtesy of Kimberlee Laney

As a Japanese-Korean-American, my love for Japanese food first came from my grandmother's kitchen! Japanese food feels like home and I love being able to cook it anywhere in the world to connect with Japan in my own little way. I love diving deep into the layers of Japanese food and always marvel at the food diversity between prefectures. I'm currently eating my way through Tokyo and taking up photography with my Instagram account @capturingkim!