Shio Koji
The single most useful thing in a serious cook's fridge. Fermented rice koji tenderizes, seasons, and deepens umami all at once. Works on meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables. Best on chicken, pork, and white fish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried rice koji
- 5 tbsp fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Use approximately 1 tbsp shio koji per pound of meat
Method
1.Make (or buy) the shio koji
To make: stir the rice koji with the salt and water, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 7 to 10 days, stirring once a day, until it smells sweet and the grains go soft. Keeps for months in the fridge.
2.Apply and rest
Coat the meat in a thin layer — about 1 tbsp per pound — and rest in the fridge. Fish: 30 minutes to a few hours. Chicken and pork: 8 to 24 hours. Wipe the excess off before cooking (koji browns fast), then pat dry and hit the fire.
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