Nimono(Simmered Dishes)
"Nimono" are stewed dishes seasoned with salt, soy sauce, "sake", "mirin (sweet sake)", sugar, vinegar or other condiments. The most common "nimono" is "nitsuke", fish or shellfish cooked briefly in a relatively thick mixture of "sake", soy sauce, "mirin" and sugar. In the case of the white fish, "tai (red snapper)" and "buri (yellowtail)", the fillets are removed and used for "sashimi" or "yakimono". The heads and backbones are chopped into pieces, washed in hot water and cooked in a relatively light mixture of water, "sake", "mirin" and soy sauce until the juice is almost entirely absorbed. Bluefish, such as mackerel, sardines and saurel, are first cooked in a mixture of water, "sake" and "mirin". "Miso (soybean paste)" that has been diluted with a ladle full of the "nijiru (broth)" is then added to mask the strong flavor of the fish, this is called "misoni". "Mizoreni" is a method of preparation in which bluefish is cooked in seasoned "dashi (soup stock)" with a generous amount of grated white radish. In making "nimono" it is important to use heavy covered pots so that the heat is spread evenly through the "nijiru".