Tazukuri Recipe (Candied Sardines) – Osechi Ryori

Time
18 mins

Traditionally eaten as part of 'Osechi ryori', try our Tazukuri recipe to make your own flavoursome dish of candied sardines toasted until crispy and finished off in a soy, sugar, honey and Honteri glaze.

  • 40g Niboshi (dried baby sardines/anchovies)
  • 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp sake
  • 1 tbsp Mizkan Honteri
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  1. Put the dried baby sardines in a frying pan (no oil needed) and toast them on a medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes or until crispy. Add the sesame seeds to the pan and toast for 2 minutes. Make sure to shake the pan constantly so the sesame seeds don’t burn.
  2. When you can, break the sardines in two pieces with your fingers and transfer to a plate.
  3. In the same frying pan, add the sake, soy sauce, sugar and honey and bring to a simmer on a medium-low heat to reduce the sauce or until the sauce gets thicker and you can draw a line on the surface of the pan with a silicone spatula.
  4. Add the sardines back to the pan and coat with the sauce. Once the sardines are coated with the sauce nicely, transfer back to a plate. Spread the sardines to let cool, then serve.

Ingredients

  • 40g Niboshi (dried baby sardines/anchovies)
  • 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp sake
  • 1 tbsp Mizkan Honteri
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey

Method

  1. Put the dried baby sardines in a frying pan (no oil needed) and toast them on a medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes or until crispy. Add the sesame seeds to the pan and toast for 2 minutes. Make sure to shake the pan constantly so the sesame seeds don’t burn.
  2. When you can, break the sardines in two pieces with your fingers and transfer to a plate.
  3. In the same frying pan, add the sake, soy sauce, sugar and honey and bring to a simmer on a medium-low heat to reduce the sauce or until the sauce gets thicker and you can draw a line on the surface of the pan with a silicone spatula.
  4. Add the sardines back to the pan and coat with the sauce. Once the sardines are coated with the sauce nicely, transfer back to a plate. Spread the sardines to let cool, then serve.