Agemono Recipe: Niki Nakayama’s Tuna Karaage

For the marinade:

• 2 ounces sake
• 2 ounces mirin
• 4 ounces soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 ounce sugar

For the tuna karaage:

• 4 ounces tuna marinade (see above)
• 2 ounces dashi
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon grated garlic
• 12 pieces sliced tuna (2 ½ inches long by 1 inch wide and ½ inch thick)
• 3 quarts rice bran or soybean oil, for frying
• ½ cup potato starch, for coating
• 3 cups cabbage, julienned
• Lemon wedges, for serving

For the sesame aioli:

• ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons ponzu
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

1. 1

   Prepare the marinade. Pour the sake and mirin into a shallow pan set over medium-high heat. Heat the mixture until the alcohol burns off, 2–3 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sugar. Pour the heated sake-minin mixture into the bowl and mix until the sugar dissolves.

2. 2

   Prepare the tuna. Mix the tuna marinade with the dashi, sesame oil, and grated garlic in a bowl and add the tuna. Marinate for 40 minutes.

3. 3

   Fry the tuna. Fill a wide, deep pot or wok with enough oil so that it comes nearly halfway up the sides (at least 3–4 inches). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it’s 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. 4

   Put the potato starch in an even layer on the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Toss the tuna in the potato starch and coat it thoroughly. Sprinkle the panko over the tuna and toss again.

5. 5

   Fry the coated tuna pieces in the deep pot a few at a time. Don’t overcrowd the pot and be sure to keep the pieces separated, moving them around with tongs. Fry the tuna until they become medium-golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Transfer the fried fish to a rack or paper towel to remove excess oil.

6. 6

   Prepare the sesame aioli. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, ponzu, and sesame oil until the ingredients are well combined. Transfer the aioli to small dipping bowls.

7. 7

   Place a mound of julienned cabbage in the center of each plate. Top with the cabbage with overlapping pieces of karaage. Place a wedge of lemon on the side. Serve the dish immediately with the bowls of sesame aioli.

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