When the weather is warm outside, I crave a meal with a simple and refreshing taste. This Salmon Nanbanzuke (鮭の南蛮漬け) is easily one of my favorite seafood dishes to enjoy.
Nanbanzuke may not be on your radar when comes to Japanese food, but it is actually a popular dish enjoyed both at home and in restaurants in Japan. Here, the salmon is first fried then marinated in a tangy sauce along with colorful julienned vegetables. It’s then chilled in the refrigerator and served cold. The result is light and incredibly appetizing.
What is Nanbanzuke?
Nanban (南蛮) literary means “southern barbarian(s)” in kango (漢語), Chinese loanwords in the Japanese language. It originally referred to the people of South Asia and Southeast Asia. In Japan, it was used for the Portuguese, who first arrived in 1543, and later for other Europeans who came to visit later in the 16th to 17th century.
The word also refers to something foreign and exotic. This includes nanban kashi (南蛮菓子, foreign sweets) like castella cake. Another example is food with exotic spices, sauces like chicken nanban (fried chicken with tartar sauce), or marinades like salmon nanbanzuke, with zuke meaning “being soaked.”
Nanbanzuke is essentially the Japanese interpretation of escabeche, a fried fish dish that’s marinated in a vinegar-based sauce in Mediterranean and Latin American cuisines. Instead of cider vinegar and spices, we enliven the fish or meat with marinade ingredients from the Japanese pantry: Dashi, mirin, sake, and rice vinegar. This unique preparation helps preserve the fish so that it lasts for days in the fridge.
Ingredients for Marinated Fried Salmon
- salmon fillet – see the recipe card for instructions on how to remove the skin; you can also crisp it for an optional garnish
- kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal brand
- freshly ground black pepper
- potato starch or cornstarch – for coating the salmon
- carrot, onion, and green bell pepper – I use Japanese piman bell pepper
- neutral oil – for cooking the vegetables and frying salmon
- dashi (Japanese soup stock) – you can use awase dashi, dashi packet or powder, or vegan dashi
- rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce – you can use regular soy sauce, but the final color of the dish will be darker
- sake – I used Sho Chiku Bai Classic Junmai Sake
- mirin – I used Takara Mirin
- sugar
- lemon slices and parsley – optional; for garnish
Variations on Salmon Nanbanzuke
Besides salmon, you can also make nanbanzuke with these popular ingredients:
- aji (horse mackerel)
- saba (mackerel)
- shishamo (saltwater smelt)
- wakasagi (Japanese pond smelt)
- chicken
How To Make Salmon Nanbanzuke
- Make the marinade by combining rice vinegar, dashi stock, usukuchi soy sauce, sugar, sake, and mirin in a lidded container that fits the salmon and vegetables.
- Cut the vegetables. Julienne the carrot and bell pepper into thin strips and thinly slice the onion.
- Sauté the onion, carrot, and bell pepper in neutral oil in a large frying pan. When they are wilted but still crisp, transfer them to the marinade.
- Skin and cut the salmon fillet into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and black pepper. Lightly dust with potato starch to coat completely.
- Fry the salmon in hot neutral oil in the same frying pan over medium heat. Fry in batches and do not crowd the pan. When it’s golden brown, remove and shake off the oil.
- Transfer the hot fried salmon to the marinade. Repeat with the rest of the salmon.
- Place the vegetables on top of the fried salmon so it’s completely submerged in the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or preferably overnight.
- Optionally, you can crisp the salmon skin the toaster oven, then break it into smaller pieces for garnish when serving.
- Serve chilled. Place the vegetables on a plate and top with the salmon. Garnish with lemon slices, parsley, and baked salmon skin. Serve it chilled.
You can keep the dish in the refrigerator for up to 5–6 days.
3 Cooking Tips for Delicious Salmon Nanbanzuke
1. Coat the salmon with potato starch or flour.
This crucial step helps to seal in the umami and juice in the fish. During frying, this coating acts as a protective shield to prevent the flesh from breaking apart. If you don’t have potato starch, you can substitute cornstarch or wheat flour, but don’t skip the coating.
You may remember that I use the same technique for Teriyaki Salmon and Miso Butter Salmon.
2. Adjust the vinaigrette to your liking.
Everyone has a slightly different level of preference when it comes to tartness in food. I tested different versions of nanban marinade with my family because each of them has their own comfort level with sourness. So, use my recipe as a guide. Have a taste and adjust the ratio until the vinaigrette tastes right to your liking or for the season. For example, I like to use a bit more vinegar in the summertime for extra tanginess.
Speaking of vinegar, most Japanese recipes use rice vinegar (米酢). It is milder in taste and not as strong as other kinds of vinegar. I highly recommend getting a bottle of rice vinegar if you also plan to make Sushi Rice (for making sushi), Cucumber Salad, and Japanese dressings.
3. Marinate the fried salmon while it’s hot.
The most important technique for delicious nanbanzuke is to marinate the fried salmon as soon as it’s out of the oil. Remove the excess oil by shaking it off, then dunk the salmon into the marinade immediately. The hot salmon absorbs the most flavor when it’s just fried.
Other Salmon Dishes You May Enjoy
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Salmon Fried Rice
- Miso Butter Salmon
- Salmon in Foil
- Baked Crispy Salmon
- Sanpeijiru (Salmon Miso Soup)
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Chilled Sweet & Sour Marinated Salmon (Nanbanzuke)
Ingredients
For the Salmon
- 1 lb salmon
- 4 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup neutral oil (divided for frying the salmon and vegetables)
For the Vegetables
- ½ carrot (3 oz, 85 g)
- ½ onion (6 oz, 170 g)
- ½ green bell pepper (2 oz, 57 g; I use Japanese piman bell pepper)
For the Nanban Marinade
- 1 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) (Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- ¾ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 3 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (you can use regular soy sauce, but the final dish will be darker)
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 3 Tbsp sugar
For the Garnish (Optional)
- lemon slices
- parsley
Instructions
Before You Start
- This recipe requires a chilling time of 30+ minutes. Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Nanban Marinade
- Combine ¾ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned), 1 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), 3 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce or regular soy sauce, and 3 Tbsp sugar. in a large container with a lid.
- Add 2 Tbsp sake and 2 Tbsp mirin.
To Prepare the Vegetables
- Cut ½ carrot into 2-inch pieces. Slice the pieces into slabs.
- Cut the slabs into julienned strips. Thinly slice ½ onion widthwise so it keeps its shape and texture during cooking.
- Remove the seeds from ½ green bell pepper and cut into julienned strips.
- Cook the vegetables: Heat a large frying pan. Add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Add the onion and sauté.
- Stir to coat the onions in oil. Add the carrot and bell pepper.
- Stir to combine and coat with oil. Cook until wilted but still crisp (don’t overcook). Transfer to the marinade to soak.
To Prepare the Salmon
- Remove the skin from 1 lb salmon. Start by pulling one corner of the skin. Hold down the flesh with a knife as you peel the skin off. Set the skin aside to cook for garnish, if you'd like (see below).Nami's Tip: I‘ll show you how to crisp the salmon skin in a later step. Cover and refrigerate the skin for now.
- Cut the salmon into lengthwise blocks.
- Cut crosswise into bite-sized pieces, about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick.
- Season with ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Heat the oil: In the same frying pan, heat the rest of the neutral oil over medium heat.
- Dredge the salmon for frying: Sprinkle 4 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch over the salmon and coat well.
- Dust off the excess starch.
To Cook and Marinate the Salmon
- Do not overcrowd the pan, and cook in batches. Add the salmon to the hot oil, leaving space between each piece. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon). Use a splatter screen to reduce oil splatters.Nami's Tip: The oil temperature will drop quickly if you add too many salmon pieces to the pan at once.
- Shake off the oil from the cooked salmon. Add the hot salmon directly into the marinade.
- Fry the rest of the salmon and add to the marinade.
- Top the salmon with the vegetables so the fish is completely submerged in the marinade.
- Marinate the salmon: Cover with the lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.
To Crisp the Salmon Skin (Optional)
- Sprinkle salt on the salmon skin. Bake at 325ºF (160ºC) in the oven or toaster oven for 30 minutes until crispy. The skin will cook in its rendered fat. Break the crispy skin into smaller pieces and use as a garnish when serving this dish.
To Serve
- Serve chilled. Place some vegetables from the marinade on a plate. Top with the salmon.
- Garnish with lemon slices, parsley, and baked salmon skin.
To Store
- Salmon nanbanzuke keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5–6 days.
Nutrition
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