How to make wealth with baby fish? Tazukuri is a dish in which tiny dried baby sardines are roasted in a skillet until crispy and fragrant (I mean fish fragrant), and flavored with sugar, shoyu and sake (rice wine). The direct translation of Tazukuri is to build nutritious and healthy soil. In the past baby sardines were used as a fertilizer in the rice paddies and vegetable fields. Eating these tiny fish at the beginning of...
Read MoreDiscvoer Osechi Ryori (1) Kuromame for Health
Every Japanese citizen starts a New Year with auspicious Osechi Ryori meal. Osechi Ryori is a celebration meal like the one enjoyed at Thanksgiving dinner. There is a whole set of rule of what to be served for the celebration. Osechi Ryori has many dishes in the meal. Each ingredient used is related to something which bring us luck, prosperity, health and happiness in the New Year. I have begun making Osechi Ryori dish...
Read MoreFish Quick Lesson 4: Kara-age Fish and Special Sale of The Sushi Experience
Continuation from Fish Quick Lesson: My filleted fish stays in the refrigerator for up to 6 days fresh. But, I sometimes freeze them for later time consumption. After defrosting such a fish this is a dish which I make from time to time. Kara-age fish. (Not Kara-age chicken). Kara-age is a cooking technique, in which an item is marinated in the mixture of shoyu and mirin, coated with potato starch and fried crisp. The Kara-age fish recipe is from my The Sushi Experience. If...
Read MoreFish Quick Lesson 3: Cooking Fish Simple
Very fresh, good tasting fish needs accompanying sauce which can elevate the natural flavor of the fish, but not masking it. This is what I often do with my very fresh fish. It requires just 10 minutes of cooking/working time. Salt the fish (with skin) and cook it in the oiled skillet, skin side down, until the skin is crisp and the fish is cooked about 60 percent. Turn the fish over and cook until it is cooked through, but not over-cooked. In order to cook the fish...
Read MoreFish Quick Lesson 2: How to Store and Enjoy Filleted Fish
After filleting fish I always lightly salt the fillet and leave it for 20 minutes or so. This removes a bit of excess water from the fish, thus, firms up the muscle meat. This makes easy for us to cook the fish. After 20 minutes I wipe the fish with paper towel, sprinkle additional salt (for flavor) and cook it in the skillet or broiler. The fish, which is very fresh, does not need any or much sauce to accompany. Sauce anyway masks the natural flavor of the very fresh fish....
Read More