Food Forum
Vol. 31 No. 4  January 2018

MORE ABOUT JAPANESE COOKING

TRADITIONAL RECIPE

KATSUO NO TATSUTA AGE DEEP-FRIED BONITO

Tatsuta age recipes typically involve fish or chicken marinated in a soy sauce-based sauce; the meat is then coated with cornstarch and deep-fried. This marinade not only acts as a seasoning, it mellows the strong flavor of the meat. Tuna, chicken or lamb may be substituted for bonito in this recipe.

Ingredients

Katsuo fillet
Serves 4

170 kcal Protein 19.7 g Fat 7.7 g (per person)

  • 300 g / 10 oz. fresh katsuo bonito fillet
  • 2 T Kikkoman Soy Sauce
  • 20 g / 0.7 oz. ginger, grated
  • 8 shishito green peppers*
  • Vegetable oil for deep-frying
  • 2 T cornstarch

Directions

  1. Remove the skin from the bonito and cut the fish into bite sizes, about 1 cm / 1/2 in. thick.
  2. Mix soy sauce and grated ginger in a bowl. Add bonito and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
  3. Prick each shishito green pepper with a toothpick to make 2 or 3 small holes (see photo), which will prevent the oil from splattering. Cut off stems.
  4. Heat oil for frying to 170 °C / 335 °F. Add the peppers gently and deep-fry briefly until they turn a bright green. Remove and place them on a paper towel to drain.
  5. Coat the bonito with cornstarch and shake off excess.
  6. Increase the oil temperature to 180 °C / 355 °F. Deep-fry the bonito in oil until the fish turns golden brown and rises up from the bottom of the pot. Remove and place the fish on a paper towel to drain.
  7. Serve the deep-fried bonito on a platter with the shishito peppers.

* Sweet mini peppers may be substituted. If these are unavailable, 4 small green bell peppers may be used; cut and remove seeds before deep-frying.

Recipe by Kikkoman Corporation

1 C (U.S. cup) = approx. 240 ml; 1 T = 15 ml; 1 t = 5 ml