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Kobujime Cured Fish

Recipe from Bon Appétit, from their YouTube videoWritten down by ReelsMeals from the caption and voiceover. Added 25 October 2026.

15 minutes to prep. A traditional Japanese kobujime technique that cures fish between kelp and salt, creating deep umami flavor and a firmer, slightly gelatinous texture. The brief curing time of an hour and a half yields a delicate balance of saltiness and seaweed aroma, making it a perfect appetizer or light main dish.

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Kobujime Cured Fish by Bon Appétit, a frame from the YouTube video

Method

  1. Moisten a clean towel with a small amount of sake.

  2. Rinse the kombu briefly with the sake‑dampened towel to remove excess salt.

  3. Season both sides of the fish fillets lightly with salt.

  4. Fish fillets are placed on top of kombu.

  5. Place the salted fillets between the rinsed kombu.

  6. Press the fish and kombu together and let it cure for about 1.5 hours before serving.

Tips while you cook

Season both sides lightly
Apply salt to both sides of the fish fillets as instructed.
Rinse kombu with sake‑dampened towel
Use the sake‑moistened towel to briefly rinse the kombu and remove excess salt.
Press and cure for 1.5 hours
Press the fish and kombu together and let them cure for about 1.5 hours before serving.
Moisten towel with a small amount of sake
Prepare a clean towel dampened with a small amount of sake for rinsing the kombu.

Notes from ReelsMeals, based on this recipe's ingredients, times and method. They are not the creator's instructions.

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The recipe comes from Bon Appétit’s YouTube video. ReelsMeals wrote it down from the caption and the voiceover. Check the original if something looks off, and for anything about allergens.

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