When we were living in Kobe, Japan there was a store in Motomachi that sells Iwashi no gomaae (Sardines with ground sesame). It was so delicious. There is absolutely no way we can get it here in Cheney, WA. I wanted to recreate it here at home. But all I could get is frozen sanma. It is several times bigger, but taste really good when stew. So, I thought perhaps I can do the same as iwashi. The second problem, toasty flavorful kin goma (golden sesame) is hard to come by here (actually none at all). I have not seen it in any of the asian grocers here. Thus, the next substitution would be using peanuts which are also several times bigger than sesame. Hahaha...I guess big is good (as the saying goes in America!) We call this sanma no nitsuke pinattsuae.
I used the same process as stewing iwashi basically, which is to simmer it in a little vinegar together with sliced ginger until it is reduced to more than half. Then add soy sauce, sake and sugar in equal portion (enough to cover the fish) and continue shimmering until the liquid is about 1/4 of the original. Shut the heat and add lots of ground peanuts. Basically, the peanuts will absorb the rest of the liquid and become pasty so that it will coat the fish. Done!
It actually turned out good. I still need a few adjustment such as making it sweeter (my preference). So, next time I'll add a little more sugar. Also, frozen fish can be be quite fishy, so, it is important to preprocess the fish with vinegar and ginger. Do not skip this step!
And this dish can keep for a few weeks, so, it will be a good emergency food. I'll probably try to make this for shogatsu next year. Hahaha!!!
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