Kanpachi Namerō

Namerō is a fisherman's dish from the Bōsō Peninsula of Chiba Prefecture, traditionally made by mincing fresh fish with miso and aromatics right on the boat. The name comes from the Japanese word meaning "to lick" — a reference to how irresistibly good the dish is straight from the chopping board.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 400g (14 oz) sashimi-grade kanpachi (amberjack) or yellowtail, skin removed
• 2 tbsp (30g) white shiro miso
• 1 tbsp (15ml) sake
• 4 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
• 20g (¾ oz) fresh ginger, minced
• 10 shiso (perilla) leaves, finely chiffonade
• 1 tsp (5ml) soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• Cooked short-grain rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Place the kanpachi on a clean chopping board and slice into 1cm (½ inch) pieces.
2. Combine the miso and sake in a small bowl and mix until smooth.
3. Arrange the fish on the board with the spring onions, ginger, and miso mixture. Using two knives or a bench scraper, mince everything together for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is cohesive but still has some texture.
4. Fold in the shiso chiffonade and soy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Mound into a small bowl, garnish with sesame seeds and a shiso leaf, and serve immediately with plain rice or shiso leaves for wrapping.

Cook's Notes: The key to namerō is working quickly on a cold board — keep the fish refrigerated until the moment you start chopping. For a variation called sogayaki, form leftover namerō into patties and pan-fry them the next day.