Buri Daikon (Simmered Yellowtail and Daikon) is a classic Japanese wintertime favorite when both ingredients are in season and at their freshest. Cooked gently in a soy-infused broth, the homey flavors of this traditional fish dish are utterly comforting!
1lbyellowtail (hamachi, buri)(4 fillets from a Japanese grocery store; use skin-on fillets so they won‘t break easily; you could substitute amberjack, cod, flounder/sole, Japanese butterfish, mackerel, salmon, or sea bream)
Cut 1 lb daikon radish into ¾ inch (2 cm) rounds. Cut them in half if your daikon is more than 2 inches in diameter.
In a medium pot (I use the 2.75 QT Staub), add the daikon and just enough water to cover it (about 2 cups/480 ml). In Japan, we use white rice water (from rinsing rice) to cook daikon. It’s believed that the rice bran from the rice water help reduce the bitterness.
Cook the daikon on medium heat for 15 minutes, until a bamboo skewer goes through smoothly. While cooking the daikon, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Drain the water and rinse under cold water to remove the rice bran. Quickly rinse the pot as we will use it for simmering.
To Prepare the Ingredients
While cooking the daikon, peel 2 knobs ginger and slice thinly. Save two-thirds of the sliced ginger for cooking. Julienne the other one-third of the ginger slices for garnish and set aside.
Sprinkle ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt on both sides of 1 lb yellowtail (hamachi, buri), including the skin. Let it stand for 5 minutes, and then cut in half, about 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 Tbsp sake. Then add in a few pieces of yellowtail. Cook until the surface of the fish turns white, about 10–15 seconds.
Take the fish out and place the pieces in iced water. Once cooled, about 10 seconds, remove the fish from the iced water and transfer them to a plate/tray lined with a paper towel.
To Simmer the Buri Daikon
In the medium pot (that you used for boiling the daikon), combine 1 cup water, 3 Tbsp sake, 3 Tbsp mirin, and 4 Tbsp soy sauce.
Add the ginger slices and 2 Tbsp sugar. Mix it all together.
Add the yellowtail and bring it to a simmer. Using a fine-mesh sieve, skim the scum and foam if there is any (there should not be much thanks to precooking).
Add the daikon and coat well with the seasoned broth. Keep it at a bare simmer.
Once simmering, place an otoshibuta (drop lid) (you can get one on Amazon) over the daikon and keep it at a bare simmer for the next 15 minutes, flipping the daikon occasionally. Do not use a regular lid because we need some moisture to escape and the otoshibuta helps to coat the daikon with seasoned broth at all times as it is always touching the food. Tip: You can make a homemade otoshibuta with aluminum foil.
About 15 minutes later, the dish is done cooking. You can serve it immediately; however, as I explained in the blog post, I highly recommend to let it cool even for a few hours.
Remove from the heat and let cool, keeping the otoshibuta on so the surface won’t dry out. Don’t use a regular lid as the foods take a longer time to cool. Once every 30 minutes or so, tilt the pot to coat the surface of the daikon with the seasoned broth.
Once completely cooled, you can refrigerate (especially overnight). Right before you serve, reheat until the dish is warm.
Serve the dish in a bowl with some broth. Top the fish with julienned ginger. Enjoy!
To Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.