Ⅱ. Fish & Seafood
1. Assorted Sashimi
(Sashimi no Mori-awase)
Today's Recipe
Ⅱ. Fish & Seafood
1. Assorted Sashimi
(Sashimi no Mori-awase)
Sashimi is sliced raw fish or shellfish served along with some condiments, wasabi horse radish, and soy sauce. Japanese people, fish lovers, appreciate to eat fish most as sashimi. The essential point to eat any kind of fish raw is that the fish must be very fresh. Most of the fish can be eaten raw if it is just fresh. It should be less than a day old after it was caught, much less frozen. However the only exception is recognized with tuna, squid, and cuttlefish that are caught in open sea and frozen in the ship on the spot they are caught. In the market, already sliced fish as sashimi is sold. But I would recommend you to buy fillets or blocks for sashimi and slice them yourselves at home. 4 servings 1 sashimi squid 1 whole shaped toasted nori 1 block ; about 200g (1/2 pound) sashimi tuna 1/4 red snapper, filleted and skinned (belly side recommended) Condiments: 10 cm (4-inch) daikon (Japanese radish), skinned and finely shredded 4 shiso leaves 4 stems shiso flowers (ho-jiso), optional 1 tablespoon benitade, optional 1 fresh wasabi root, skin scraped and grated or wasabi paste from the tube |
| 1. | Cut lengthwise the center of the squid to open flat on the side without the triangle tentacle. Hold and pull the whole leg tentacles off the trunk of the squid to remove its gut. Insert your fingers between the triangle tentacle and the trunk and pull the triangle off. Only the trunk is used for sashimi. Pinch the outer skin of the trunk at the pointed end of it, using a paper towel. Pull it off to skin. Rinse the skinned squid under running water and tap dry. |
| 2. | On a cutting board, score lengthwise the skinned side of the squid at every
3 mm (1/8 inch) interval. Turn the squid upside down and place laver over it. Roll up tightly from a side toward the other. Slice the roll into 8mm(1/3 inch) thick pieces. |
| 3. | Dice the tuna block into a bite size pieces. |
| 4. | On the cutting board, place the red snapper fillet with the thicker part farther from you and slice into 8mm(1/3 inch) thick pieces, holding the knife slightly diagonally with the back of it bending toward you. |
| 5. | Mound the daikon in a third part of a serving platter. Place the shiso
beside it. Arrange the prepared fish and squid beside the condiments. Place the other condiments to serve. |
| 6. | Each person helps themselves to 1 teaspoonful soy sauce in an individual
small dish. Wasabi horseradish can be diluted in the soy sauce and the fish slice is dipped in them to eat. Instead of diluting wasabi in soy sauce we often place a small portion of it on a slice of the fish and dip them lightly in soy sauce to eat. |
