Tag Archive for 'tobiko'

Chirashi Sushi

Published
by
marc
on June 29, 2008
in Japanese and Seafood
. 14 Comments

For those of you that have never had it, chirashi sushi i a bowl of vinegared sushi rice topped with a bunch of colorful stuff. At most sushi restaurants this means covering the rice with slices of various raw fish, but that’s not always how it’s made.

Growing up my mom used to make a vegetarian version with simmered shitake mushrooms, carrots, egg, sugar peas and benishoga (red ginger) for any potluck or party we’d go to. It makes for a great party dish because it’s something you eat at room temperature and the ticker-tape-confetti of toppings makes it look very festive.

My rendition is a bit more decadent, capturing the essence of the sea. The ingredients aren’t cheap, but it’s still cheaper than going to a local sushi restaurant and it isn’t nearly as hard to prepare as it looks. I made this in about an hour, but if you make some of the stuff ahead of time it can be assembled in even less time.

If you’re squeamish about uni (or any of the other ingredients) you could obviously sub them out, but steamed uni is not nearly as off-putting as the raw kind they have at sushi restaurants. Cooking it gives it more structure making it more cheese like in texture (though not flavour) while retaining its sweet creaminess.
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Sunchoke and hamachi carpaccio

Published
by
marc
on April 10, 2008
in Appetizer, Japanese, Salad and Seafood
. 8 Comments

Inspiration can show up when you least expect it. This dish was actually inspired by a Coconut Pana Cotta of all things. What does a creamy Italian desert have in common with a savory sashimi appetizer you ask? Aside from looking incredibly tasty, pana cotta’s are typically creamy dishes that use a tart sauce to offset the fat. In this case, Helen used Yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit with mandarins to cut through the creaminess of the coconut milk and cream.

I suppose I am genetically programed to love Yuzu, yet I’m perpetually surprised at how a mere whiff of its citrusy floral aroma can put a huge smile on my face. I could go on espousing its virtues, but that’s an ode for another post.

This dish layers thin slices of crisp sunchoke with thin slices of hamachi(yellowtail) sashimi. It’s topped with a drizzle of olive oil and yuzu with a sprinkling of cherrywood smoked sea salt. The creamy smooth hamachi plays very nicely with the crisp sunchoke and tart Yuzu. If you can get your hands on smoked salt, it adds a wonderful meaty depth that infuses both character and body to the flavors in this dish.

While the ingredients on the list might seem intimidating to source, there’s not many of them. The key is to use fresh, high quality ingredients, then to nail the presentation. You could substitute Meyer Lemon or Lime for the Yuzu and tuna for the yellow tail if you had to. Just make sure the ingredients you’re using are of the best quality.

    

2-3 young sunchokes peeled
1/4 lbs sashimi grade hamachi
good quality olive oil
yuzu juice (fresh if possible, but bottled works as well)
smoked sea salt

shiso and tobiko for garnish(optional)

Using a mandoline slice the sunchokes into a bowl of ice water. This removes any extra starch and makes the sunchokes even more crisp. When they’re nice and cold, thoroughly dry each slice using paper towels.

Make sure your hands are cold and dry (put them in some ice water). Using a very sharp knife (use a sashimi knife if you have one), slice the hamachi using the weight of the knife in a single smooth stroke towards you (start cutting at the back of the knife and end at the tip).

Arrange them on a cold plate how you like and drizzle some yuzu, then some olive oil on top. Finish with a sprinkling of sea salt and serve immediately.

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