Ingredients
Ferment
- 200 gdried rice koji
- 60 gfine salt — 30% of the koji weight
- 300 mlwater
To use
- as a marinade for fish, chicken or pork
- on vegetables, in place of salt
Directions
- Break the koji up with your fingers so no clumps remain, and mix it thoroughly with the salt in a clean jar.
- Pour in the water and stir well. It should look soupy at this stage; the koji absorbs a great deal over the coming days.
- Cover loosely — a lid resting on top, not screwed down — and leave at room temperature.
- Stir once a day with a clean dry spoon. Over a week to ten days the koji grains will soften and swell, the mixture will thicken to a loose porridge, and it will start to smell sweet and faintly of chestnuts.
- Top up with a little water if it dries out above the surface. The koji keeps absorbing and the level drops.
- It is ready when the grains crush easily between your fingers and it tastes salty-sweet rather than sharply salty. Blend it smooth if you prefer, or leave it grainy.
- Refrigerate. It keeps six months and goes on mellowing.
- To use, rub about 10% of the weight of the food onto fish, chicken or pork and leave 30 minutes to overnight. The koji’s enzymes break down protein, so it both seasons and tenderises — and for the same reason, left on too long, it turns fish mushy.
Technique
- It replaces salt, so cut the salt elsewhere in the dish. Roughly a tablespoon of shio koji for a teaspoon of salt.
- Do not leave delicate fish in it overnight. The proteases keep working and turn the flesh to paste.
- It browns fast in a pan because of the sugars the enzymes release. Wipe most of it off before searing.
Substitutions
- Fresh koji rather than dried, using less water since it already carries moisture.
- Barley or soy koji, both of which work and taste slightly different.
Variations
- Shoyu koji uses soy sauce in place of the salt and water.
- Amazake is the same koji fermented without salt at a warm temperature, and comes out sweet.
History
An old Tohoku pickling medium revived as a home seasoning during a nationwide boom around 2011.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shio Koji?
Shio Koji is a fermented & pickled from Japan: salted rice-koji paste used to marinate fish, meat and vegetables. An old Tohoku pickling medium revived as a home seasoning during a nationwide boom around 2011.
How long does Shio Koji take to make?
Shio Koji takes 15 min plus 7 to 10 days of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes makes about 600 g. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Shio Koji?
Yes, within limits. Fresh koji rather than dried, using less water since it already carries moisture. Barley or soy koji, both of which work and taste slightly different.
What is the most important thing to get right in Shio Koji?
It is ready when the grains crush easily between your fingers and it tastes salty-sweet rather than sharply salty. Blend it smooth if you prefer, or leave it grainy.
