Japanese Monkfish Anko Liver Ankou Nabe and Ibaraki Winter Delicacy

Ingredients

• 1 (whole, 2–3 kg) Pacific ankou (monkfish/anglerfish), cold-water; to be broken into nanamono seven components by tsurushi-giri hanging cut
• For the broth base
• 300 g ankou no kimo (ankou liver), thoroughly mashed and strained smooth
• 4 tbsp miso
• 100 ml sake
• 1 litre dashi
• Nanamono components (from the whole fish)
• as yielded ankou skin (kawa), retained; primary gelatin and broth-richness contributor
• as yielded ankou flesh, portioned
• as yielded ovaries (tomo), separated
• as yielded fins (hire), separated
• as yielded stomach (mizu-bukuro), separated and cleaned
• as yielded gills (era), separated and cleaned

Method

1. 1
   Suspend the whole ankou from a hook by its jaw — tsurushi-giri (hanging cut). Working from the hanging fish, remove the skin first in sheets, then separate each of the seven components of ankou no nanamono in sequence: liver (kimo), ovaries (tomo), fins (hire), stomach (mizu-bukuro), gills (era), and flesh. The gelatinous body collapses under its own weight on a board; hanging allows clean separation. Each component is set aside individually. The preparation is complete when all seven parts are cleanly divided and nothing is discarded.
2. 2
   Mash the ankou liver thoroughly with the miso and sake until a smooth, homogeneous paste is formed. Pass the mixture through a strainer to remove any remaining lumps. This is the broth base. This step is where the dish lives or dies: uneven, chunk-laden liver paste will distribute unevenly through the broth and compromise both texture and flavour throughout the entire pot. The finished paste should be entirely smooth and hold no visible solid pieces.
3. 3
   Bring the dashi to a low simmer in the nabe pot. Whisk the strained liver-miso-sake paste gradually into the dashi until fully incorporated and the broth is an even, opaque, amber-brown colour with no streaks.
4. 4
   Add the ankou skin first — it is the primary collagen source — then the remaining nanamono components in order of their required cooking time: stomach, gills, fins, flesh, ovaries. Maintain a low simmer throughout. The dish is ready to receive all components when the skin has visibly softened and the broth has taken on a noticeably unctuous, slightly syrupy quality.
5. 5
   Simmer the assembled nabe at low heat for a minimum of 30 minutes. Collagen extraction from the skin and cartilage requires sustained, gentle heat. The broth is ready when it coats a spoon and clings to the lip — a lip-coating, jiggly consistency — and the flesh is tender throughout with no resistance when pressed.
6. 6
   At the close of the meal, prepare the shime: add cold cooked rice directly to the remaining collagen-rich broth in the pot and cook gently until the rice has absorbed the broth and the mixture reaches the consistency of ojiya (rice porridge). The canonical ending is complete when the porridge is thick, glossy, and carries the full depth of the ankou broth.