Kinmedai Nitsuke (Braised Alfonsino) is a classic Japanese fish dish gently simmered in a flavorful sauce made of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and ginger.
My family loves fish. My son was still 2 years old when he accidentally ate a fishbone and knew how to separate it from the fish inside his mouth. And it was a piece of cake for him. Now my daughter who’s 2 years old enjoys eating fish, and sometimes my husband and I can’t have any share. Today I share one of the traditional Japanese fish dishes.
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Kinmedai Nitsuke (Braised Alfonsino)
Kinmedai Nitsuke (Braised Alfonsino) is a classic Japanese fish dish gently simmered in a flavorful sauce made of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and ginger.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- ½ lb kinmedai (alfonsino) (fillet, rinsed under cold water and patted dry with paper towels)
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
Instructions
To Blanch the Kinmedai
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil enough water to just cover the kinmedai.
- Once boiling, place ½ lb kinmedai (alfonsino) in the boiling water. Remember, you do not need to cook the fish here.
- As soon as the fish’s surface becomes white, remove it from the pan and run under cold water. Pat dry the fish with a paper towel. Discard the cooking water and quickly rinse the saucepan.
To Simmer the Kinmedai
- In the same saucepan, combine ⅓ cup sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low. Then, add the fish and 2 slices ginger. Place an otoshibuta (a drop lid) on top of the fish and simmer for 7–8 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish).
- Stay around the kitchen to make sure the sauce doesn‘t evaporate too fast. Add a little bit of water if the sauce is low. Spoon the sauce over the fish a few times.
- Carefully lift the fish onto a serving plate and spoon some of the sauce over the fish. Enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 170 kcal · Carbohydrates: 6 g · Protein: 24 g · Fat: 2 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 57 mg · Sodium: 539 mg · Potassium: 351 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 12 mg · Iron: 1 mg
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I used catfish (basa/pangasius) and it was still really good. Soft and comforting. Thank you once again for the great recipe!
Hi Mariétou! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the dish!
Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us. Happy Cooking!
My 92 yr old mom loves the Sake Harami Nitsuke at Gochi Japanese tapas which was made with salmon belly. Is this the correct recipe to duplicate it at home for her? Is there any additional steps if using salmon belly. Thanks so much.
Hello, Karen! Thank you for taking the time to read Nami’s post.
Because the basic Nituke recipe uses similar seasonings, this recipe should also work for Salmon belly. However, blanching the salmon belly may not be necessary.
We hope your mother enjoys the meal.
This dis is absolutely delicious and very easy and quick to make. I have used alfonsino and tarakihi and both worked splendidly. I serve with crispy crushed potatoes and a Japanese slaw. Thank you for another great recipe 🙂
Hi Yvette! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us!
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the dish.🤗
Hi Nami,
Can I use this recipe for tai? My mom is 99 years old and I would like to make this with somen so we can spoon some of this sauce over it. I have memories of her making something like this but not sure of the type of fish she used. Since she taught me that “tai” is a celebratory fish,”medetai”, I want to make this for her since I saw some tai at the fish market today.
Alison
Hi Alison! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!
Aww. Your story has touched my heart. Yes! You can use this recipe for Tai! We hope your mom enjoys Tai-no-Nituke（鯛の煮付け). ☺️
Super easy to make and yummmmmmy!! I love it!!
Hi Mon! Awesome! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed this dish!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
I’m planning to try this later – would this work well for Alaskan cod? Is blanching necessary? What exactly does it achieve?
Hi Jeremy! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!
Yes. You can use Alaskan cod for this recipe. Cod is flaky, white flesh, and a mild flavor, so you may skip the blanching steps.
We blanch Alfonsino to clean the unwanted fishy smell.
We hope you enjoy this dish!
Hi Nami,
What rice or noodle and or veg go with this dish, cooking tonight.
Shane
Hi Shane, Thank you very much for trying this recipe! This will go well with white rice, miso soup, and some vegetables/salad dish.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-cook-rice/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/homemade-miso-soup/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/eggplant-with-sesame-ponzu-sauce/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/15-easy-japanese-salad-recipes/
We hope this helps!
Does the mirin get added to the braising liquid?
Hi Carolyn!
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
We’ve updated the recipe (it’s been 9 years since it’s published!).😊
This recipe was crazy amazing. I’ve only tried it with the alfonsino, though. If you can get the fish, definitely use this recipe.
Hi Heather! I’m so happy to hear you found alfonsino and enjoyed this recipe! I have been looking for one (to update the image) but I haven’t had it. 🙂
I used trout (a while meat fish after boiling) and it turned out great and delicious! Thank you very much for this recipe.
Hi Alex! Thank you so much for trying this recipe with trout! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
i don’t think we have this type of fish in Manila 🙁 what would be a good substitute?
Hi Gladys! Any fish would work, but we usually use flounders (flat fish). 🙂 Try not to use flaky fish because you have to braise the fish and it will break into pieces if they are flakey flesh. 🙂
I improvised and decided to try this recipe with tilapia instead since I had it on hand. it came out flavorful and only slightly fishy. Will definitely have to try it again with the correct fish.
Hi Joe! May I suggest sprinkle salt and sake and let stand for 15 minutes to remove the odor of fish before cooking? Then quick rinse and wipe with paper towel. It helps removing the fishy taste. 🙂 Thanks so much for trying this recipe! 🙂
Thanks Nami, I’ll try that method out.
Hi. Any suggestions on other kinds of fish you can use in this recipe?
Hi Mark! Flounder is a common fish to make this type of “simmered fish” recipes. White fish that is not flaky should work. 🙂
Umm…would sea bass be good for this recipe?
HI Kessia! You could, but sea bass tends to be more flaky so be careful when you cook, try not to move too much. 🙂
what is an alternative to the alfonsino?
Hello hh! You can use sea bream or red snapper. Thanks for asking!
Hi, would halibut or pacific whiting work with this recipe?
Hi Brittany! I think so, as long as the fish flesh doesn’t go flakey too much. Use the drop lid (Otoshibuta) to make sure fish won’t be moving around. 🙂