Ibaraki prefecture (Oarai, Nakaminato fishing ports) — Pacific deep-water anglerfish; October–March winter season
Ankou (鮟鱇, monkfish/anglerfish) is Japan's quintessential winter deep-water fish — celebrated primarily in Ibaraki prefecture's Oarai and Nakaminato fishing ports where ankou nabe (monkfish hot pot) is considered one of Japan's great winter dining experiences. The fish's extraordinary liver (ankou no kimo), often called the 'sea foie gras,' is the most prized component — weighing several kilograms and representing the fish's stored energy reserves. Ankou preparation uses the entirety of the fish in an approach called 'ankou no nanamono' (seven-things of ankou): the skin, liver, ovaries (tomo), fins (hire), stomach (mizu-bukuro), gills (era), and flesh are all separated and used. This waste-free utilisation is demonstrative of traditional Japanese ingredient philosophy at its most complete. The distinctive preparation method 'tsurushi-giri' (hanging cut) involves suspending the entire monkfish from a hook and filleting it hanging — the fish's skin is too delicate and its body too gelatinous to be cut efficiently on a board. Ankou nabe broth is prepared from the liver mashed with miso, sake, and dashi — the liver's fat emulsifies into the broth creating extraordinary richness. The gelatinous collagen in ankou skin creates a particularly unctuous broth quality valued for its jiggly, lip-coating texture.
Rich, unctuous, gelatinous; liver creates deeply fatty-umami broth; skin gelatin makes the broth lip-coating; oceanic sweetness from flesh; miso-sake base adds fermented depth
{"Ankou no nanamono: whole-fish utilisation — seven distinct components each separately prepared","Tsurushi-giri (hanging cut): fish suspended and filleted hanging — practical requirement for gelatinous structure","Ankou liver (kimo) = 'sea foie gras' — mashed with miso and sake to form the broth base","Ibaraki (Oarai, Nakaminato) is the benchmark ankou production and culture region","Gelatinous collagen in skin creates the characteristic unctuous, jiggly broth","Strict winter season: ankou is at peak quality October through March in cold Pacific waters"}
{"The liver must be thoroughly mashed and strained before adding to the broth — chunks of liver create uneven distribution and texture","Ankou nabe reaches its peak after 30+ minutes of low simmering — the collagen extraction from skin and cartilage takes time","Shime (closing carbohydrate) with ankou nabe: rice porridge (ojiya) cooked in the collagen-rich broth is the canonical ending"}
{"Using warm-water monkfish instead of cold-water Pacific ankou — significant fat content and liver quality difference","Discarding ankou skin — the gelatin in the skin is the primary broth-richness contributor","Attempting board-cutting of ankou instead of hanging — the gelatinous flesh makes flat cutting inefficient"}
Tsuji, Shizuo. Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. Kodansha, 2012.