Saltwater conger (anago) ✦

Congre japonais (anago)

What it is

Edo sushi cooks worked with what Tokyo Bay gave them, and anago is one of the handful of fish the style was built on — simmered rather than grilled, because it carries a fraction of the fat of freshwater unagi. The dark glaze brushed on at the end, tsume, is only that simmering liquid reduced with the bones.

In the kitchen

Scald the eel and scrape the white slime off with the back of a knife, or the broth turns bitter. Simmer it skin-side up in sake, mirin, soy and sugar at a bare 85 °C for twenty minutes; a real boil breaks it into threads.

Goes with

Koikuchi shoyu Hon-mirin Junmai sake White sugar Sansho pepper Wasabi Rice Salt

Same species

European conger

Also used with

Akazu

In season alongside

Squid Acacia honey Asparagus Black Krim tomato Brill Brocciu

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