How to make Japanese dried fish (HIMONO) in your refrigerator.

When you make HIMONO at home, normally drying basket is required and put it outside your house. If you have baskets and enough space, then it is OK. But…in case not. Or you would have anxiety that a wild cat might take and bring it their home…

 

You do not care about it ! You can make HIMONO (dried fish) in your refrigerator.

 

After lot buying fresh fish, a few fishes might be rest. And when you get a lot of fish by fishing, also a few rest will be in your hands. In that case, you can enjoy making HIMONO at home.

 

Is HIMONO just a preserved food? No! This is one of decent cooking method to make fish tastier. In HIMONO, salt is working to maitain texture. And drying process leads HIMONO to concentrate its umami.  And you will feel delicious when salt matches with meat of fish.

 

Today I have 2 fish (horse mackerels) of leftover and will show you how to make HIMONO in a fridge.

Ingredients

• 2 fishes ( today, horse mackerels)
• water 800ml
• salt 70g

Instructions

1. Cut fish as you like.
2. Make salt solution ( 8% ). Put 70g of salt into 800ml of water.
3. Soak fishes into salt salution about 30 minites.
4. After rinsing fishes with fresh water, wipe out all moisuture.
5. Put fishes on the tray and put it in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. Do not use any cover in order to dry well.
6. Grill your HIMONO. ENJOY.

Photos and explanation

Today I will use 2 horse mackerels. Total weight 330g, Length 21cm. I will slice the one “from back” and the other “from belly”.

“From back”

Do not cut the skin of belly. Leave all intestines carefully.

“From belly”. Leave the skin of back side.

“From back”

“From belly”

Soak fishes into salt salution (8%) about 30 minites.

 30 minites have passed.

Eyes became cloudy with salt.

Rinse with fresh water and wipe all the moisture.

I always use tray for fried food. This will make fishes dry easily.  If you do not have this, place some stick under fishes. Put this in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days

 

I will show you a table below, which indicate tweight (g) of fishes. In the begining, total was 278g. After 1 day, became 246g. After 2 days, it showed 221g, reducing 57g totally, which means 21% weight reduciton.

This is “after 1day” in the friege.

Shineness was observed. Sticky like scotch tape.

This is “after 2days”. Turned brown a bit.

Shineness was reduced slightly. NOT sticky, means dry.

 

Let’s get grilled。I normally use grill room. Start to grill from skin side about 5 minites with over high heat. Another 4 minites after turn back.（top＝”from belly”、bottom＝”from back”）

Grilled it well ! This is “from back” one.

Next is “from belly”. Looks like good !!!

This is salty enough, so you do not need any seasoning.

Enjoy !!!

Others,

Please refer to My 【Japanese food category】

Conclusion

This time I explained how to make HIMONO (dried fish) in your refrigerator at home. Please regard this recipe as a base. If you like more salty, keep it more long time in salt solution. And if you like more soft texture, plese reduce drying time in the friege. You can change taste as you like. I will add one more thing. Fresh fish is always good for making HIMONO. Why don’t you try it ?

 

Others,

Please refer to My 【Japanese food category】