Tuna jaw, slow-simmered

This is slow-simmered tuna jaw (nitan). I first learned about tuna jaw because a supplier recommended it to me. Most restaurants seem to serve it grilled, but at our restaurant we simmer it slowly in sake, water, soy sauce, and ginger, so guests can enjoy its tenderness and flavor.

1. Remove the meat from the tuna jaw along the bone, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and blanch it briefly.

2. Following the method for simmering fish trimmings (arani), reduce sake, water, and soy sauce in a pot down to about half, add sugar and mirin, simmer for about 20 minutes, then add sliced ginger and reduce for about 15 more minutes, finishing with a light, clean flavor.

3. Boil the shintori greens (shintori-na), drain them, and let them soak in an all-purpose seasoned dashi (happō dashi).

4. Chill it until the broth sets into a savory aspic (nikogori), pour that over the tuna from before, and garnish with the shintori greens.

Ginza — Toyoda