Dining with the Chef

Authentic Japanese Cooking: Simmered Yellowtail with Sake Lees (Kasu-ni)

Our theme this episode is simmering. We’ll be simmering yellowtail with sake lees, giving it the mild, sweet fragrance of sake — sure to whet the appetite! Sake lees, or sake-kasu, are the solids that remain after the liquid sake is pressed out of the fermented rice, and dishes made by simmering ingredients with sake lees are known as kasu-ni. The koji mold used to ferment the rice is still present in the sake lees, making the yellowtail tender and incredibly flavorful. To season it, we’ll be adding miso, which goes especially well with sake lees, bringing it all together to make a delicious dish, perfect for warming the body in the cold of winter. For our side dish, we’ll be making grilled nagaimo yam with ponzu: nagaimo yam is another ingredient that is at its best during winter, and we’ll be grilling it to enjoy its crisp texture and serving it with refreshing ponzu. Both of these dishes are great with sake, too!