Thanks for the Meal

Category: Fish

  • Japanese Seafood Recipes

    Japanese Seafood Recipes

    Looking for delicious Japanese seafood recipes? Lucky for you, I’ve rounded up some of my favorites! From appetizers and small meals to easy family dinners, you’ll love the fresh flavors of these Japanese seafood recipes.

    Japanese Seafood Recipes

    japanese clams recipe

    A perfect Japanese-style appetizer – steamed clams in sake!

    • Saute small fresh clams in the in sesame oil for a minute or two.
    • Pour good quality sake (or dry white wine) over them, cover, and steam over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened up and the clams are cooked. You may also add a splash of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste if desired.
    • Discard any unopened shells.
    • Serve hot or at room temperature, topped with minced green onions and or shredded fresh ginger.

    Another great Japanese appetizer, tenpura (also called tempura) is considered a quintessential Japanese food. Don’t let the idea of frying up food intimidate you! Tenpura is surprisingly easy to make.

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    Sushi Hand Rolls

    Salmon, tuna fish and Surimi avocado Temaki sushi with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi on mat and marble background

    Rolling your own sushi might feel intimidating, but it’s easier than you might think! In fact, this is one of my favorites to do with family or a group of friends. Make up a pot of sushi rice, set out a variety of additions, and have at it! For some of my best sushi hand roll tips, click the button below:

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    Unagi Kamameshi

    eel

    This Japanese seafood dish combines flavored rice and grilled eel with a tasty stock poured over the top, and wasabi and chopped green onions for an extra flourish. After tasting this dish just once, you’ll be a convert for life!

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    Katsuo no Tataki

    katsuo no tataki Seared Bonito Sashimi with Garlic

    Katsuo no Tataki is seared bonito sashimi with garlic. It’s a unique type of sashimi, in that it’s the only kind to be eaten with garlic or seared before eating. This is an incredibly easy dish and often you can buy already seared bonito at your local Japanese market for an even faster preparation.

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    Uosuki: Fish Sukiyaki

    uosuki fish sukiyaki

    In my version of uosuki, I use a variety mix of fresh fish and other seafood for a more complex taste. The nice thing about this Japanese seafood recipe is you can vary the vegetables as desired.

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    Fried Sardines with Shiso

    I consider shiso to be an essential Japanese herb when it comes to my cooking. Shiso is a member of the mint family, is originally from China, Burma, and the Himalayas. One of my favorite Japanese dishes to make with shiso is fried sardines stuffed with shiso. It’s a simple yet absolutely delicious seafood dish!

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    Nanbanzuke: Marinated Fried Fish from Nagasaki

    Nanbanzuke

    To make this dish, small horse mackerel are deep-fried and then marinated in a vinegar-based sauce that includes red peppers and leeks. This is a pretty forgiving recipe, so if you’re new to Japanese cooking, this is a great one to start with! It’s also a surprisingly light dish, despite it including fried fish.

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    Tai Chazuke

    chazuke rice recipe

    This is a great recipe for when you have leftover rice! While it focuses on using very fresh sashimi-grade tai (sea bream), you can certainly adjust to make this dish your own. Some other common toppings to use in this recipe include Japanese pickles, umeboshi, sesame seeds, salted salmon, trefoil, scallions and wasabi.

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    And a similar dish I definitely recommend checking out is my Tai Meshi recipe:

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    Japanese Seafood Soups and Stews

    Two of my favorite recipes to warm up with are my Oyster riverbank miso stew and my Salmon and Vegetable Tonjiru Soup recipe.

    Oyster Riverbank Stew – known as Kaki no Dote Nabe – is one of my favorite nabemono dishes. Nabemonos are so versatile and fun to make, especially at the table with friends and family.

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    Another classic Japanese winter comfort food is Tonjiru, a classic hearty umami-flavored miso-based soul-satisfying pork soup. My take on this recipe is replacing the traditional pork belly with fresh salmon chunks and added in uncured bacon to stay true to the original recipe of Tonjiru.

    Salmon Tonjiru japanese dish

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    If you have any questions about these Japanese seafood recipes, pop a comment below and let me know!

  • Fresh Fusion Sashimi Salad for Summer

    Fresh Fusion Sashimi Salad for Summer

    This simple yet delicious and easy main course salad is truly a mingling of Eastern and Western cuisines, a fusion of cultures and ingredients to create something new and exciting for your palate.  The main ingredients –raw sashimi-grade fish and Japanese herbs –  are unmistakably Japanese, but the presentation is a Western – style salad. This has become a popular style of salad in Japan and is the perfect summer salad– fresh, tasty, and an energy – giving dish for the long sultry days of August.

    Fresh Fusion Sashimi Salad for Summer

    You can really play with it, substituting your favorite vegetables, fish, or salad dressing – just as long as you keep all the ingredients and tastes in harmony. I have suggested two possible dressings, but there are many other variations that would also be delicious. A smaller portion of the salad makes an excellent first course, any time of the year. Remember, since this salad is made with raw fish, buy and use only the freshest sashimi-grade fish possible and serve on the day of preparation.

    Sashimi salad


    The most important thing to remember is to have fun with this salad! Play with the fish and veggie combos, and make the dressing your own. Every time I make this salad, it is a little different depending on what I find at the market and what is in my frig. I am thinking next time I make it to try using gochujang (Korean red chili paste) instead of wasabi for a different taste profile!

    Fresh Fusion Sashimi Salad

    Lucy Seligman
    No ratings yet
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    Course Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 1-1/4-1-1/2 cups fresh sashimi-grade yellowtail, salmon or tuna, coarsely chopped
    • 5-1/4 oz smoked salmon (or 16 slices)
    • 8 fresh sea scallops
    • 5 perilla (shiso) leaves, finely chopped
    • 4 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
    • 1-2 medium – size cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
    • 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
    • 1/2 cup celery, cut into matchsticks (may replace with daikon radish or udo*)
    • 1/2 cup fresh fennel, trimmed, thinly sliced into strips, optional
    • 1/2 cup finely shredded semi-peeled cucumber
    • 1 bunch watercress (or kaiware radish sprouts), trimmed, roughly chopped
    • 8-16 Belgian endive leaves, separated (or parboiled young asparagus)

    Dressing #1:

    • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 tbsp neutral oil
    • 1 tsp soy sauce, or to taste
    • 2 tbsp rice vinegar 
    • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, or lemon juice
    • 1-2 tsp smooth Dijon mustard, or to taste
    • 1 tbsp finely chopped perilla leaves (shiso)
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Dressing #2:

    • 4 tbsp neutral oil
    • 1 tbsp Japanese sesame oil
    • 1 tbsp soy sauce, or to taste
    • 4 tbsp rice vinegar
    • 2 tsp wasabi horseradish, or to taste
    • 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
    • 1 tsp dry sake
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Garnish**: Optional

    • 1 knob fresh Myoga, a type of Japanese ginger, finely chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Place the chopped fish in a bowl, add the perilla leaves, scallions, and mashed garlic, and mix well. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
    • Make your chosen dressing(s) by combining all the ingredients and whisking well. Taste for seasoning and set aside.
    • Divide the fish mixture into eight little portions (two per person). Wrap each portion in two slices of smoked salmon. Alternative is to lay the smoked salmon in the center of a large plate and top with sashimi mixture.
    • To server, place small mounds of carrot, celery or daikon, fennel, cucumber, and watercress or kaiware around the rim of each individual plate. Place four endive leaves in the center, and arrange the two sea scallops and two fish bundles on top or mound the fish in the center on top of the smoked salmon, placing the belgian endive around the 4 corners, creating a circle. Drizzle the dressing generously over the salad and serve immediately. If you decide to make more than one dressing, then serve these at the table, and let your guests serve themselves.

    Notes

    *Udo is a crunchy, slightly sweet Japanese vegetable that has no English translation. It should be peeled and is generally eaten raw.
    **If you are lucky enough to find fresh myoga, a type of Japanese ginger, that would also be lovely finely chopped and scattered on top of the salad for some extra crunch with a different flavor profile.
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  • Sushi Hand Rolls

    Sushi Hand Rolls


    It is getting hotter here in the Bay area, so I don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen….but still want delicious and easy Japanese dishes! You can’t get much easier than Sushi Hand Rolls (temaki). Make a pot of sushi rice, set out lots of yummy toppings on trays, and let your family and friends make their own hand rolls! The ultimate festive DIY sushi experience!

    Sushi Hand Roll History

    The earliest forms of sushi probably stank to high heaven. The purpose may well have been to preserve fish by mixing it with rice, but, in essence, people were eating semi-rotten fish. Funazushi (crucian carp sushi), dating from the Heian era (794-1185), is thought to be the oldest version.

    Gradually sushi grew more sophisticated, and wild boar, deer, ayu (sweetfish), abalone, shellfish, and sardines were used. In the Muromachi period (1334-1573), vegetable sushi made with bamboo shoots or eggplant became popular, while the idea of preserving rice with vinegar – which had just been developed – and topping it with fish began to catch on. Such sushi, compressed into shape in a box and therefore called hakozushi (boxed sushi), is eaten to this day.

    The Edo era (1603-1867) saw the invention of nigirizushi, the sushi “fingers” shaped by hand that are popular today – although they were about three times the size. Wasabi horseradish was also first used around this time. By 1695, cookbooks were explaining how to make sushi: after cooling rice, mix in some fish, and pour vinegar over the top, and there you have it!

    Make-Your-Own Rolled Sushi

    The origins of tekkamaki (sushi rolled in seaweed) can be traced back to gambling dens called tekkaba. Gamblers were so intent on their game that instead of interrupting it to dine they asked for sushi rolled in seaweed, to prevent their fingers from getting sticky. A similar story attaches to the origins of the sandwich, created at the gaming table in Britain in the eighteenth century by John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich.

    Salmon, tuna fish and Surimi avocado Temaki sushi with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi on mat and marble background

    Sushi Hand Roll Recipe

    Allow 8 pieces of assorted fish per person

    How to make Sushi rice:

    • 4 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice, washed (until water is clear) and drained
    • 3 tablespoons sake
    • A 3-inch square of dried kombu (kelp), wiped with a damp cloth

    How to make Homemade Sushi Rice Vinegar*:

    • 5 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons white sugar (5 tablespoons for sweeter rice)
    • 1 teaspoon salt (2 teaspoons for saltier rice)
    • 64 6-inch-by-5-inch squares of good quality nori (toasted seaweed)
    • Soy sauce
    • Wasabi horseradish
    • Pickled ginger

    *Note: You can also buy seasoned Rice Vinegar for Sushi if you don’t want to make your own.

    If you’re brand new to Japanese cooking, I also very much recommend this starter kit from The Japanese Pantry!

    Some Suggested Hand Roll Toppings:

    • Sashimi-grade slices of raw fish, cut into long : tuna, yellowtail, salmon, abalone, scallops, sea bream, prepared sea urchin, clams, uni (sea urchin)
    • Cooked fish: shrimp, octopus, crab meat, water-packed tuna (drained)
    • Salted fish: any type of caviar, salmon roe, mentaiko (salted Alaska Pollack roe)
    • Vegetables: thin sticks of small unwaxed cucumbers, shiso (perilla) leaves, lettuce, kaiware radish sprouts, peeled avocado slices

    Place the washed and drained rice, sake, and slightly less water than usual (the aim is firm rice, not mushy) in an electric rice cooker or large saucepan, top with kelp, and cook. In this case, you are looking at a ratio of 1:1 of rice to water. When ready, take the rice out immediately, spread on a large platter, and cool ideally with a paper fan. While the rice is cooking, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and heat until sugar and salt have dissolved and then cool. Sprinkle sushi rice vinegar over the rice, and mix lightly with a rice paddle – try not to mash the rice. Leave to cool, covered with a damp piece of cheesecloth until ready to eat.

    Prepare the rest of your ingredients and display on an attractive platter or large plate. The nori should be served on a plate separately so it doesn’t get soft, and should be the last item you put on the table before eating.

     

    How to eat hand rolled sushi

    Take a square of nori (make sure your hands are completely dry to retain the crispness), place some sushi rice (2-3 tablespoons) down the left side (rough side up), dab with wasabi, add one or two toppings, and roll up into a cone. Dip in soy sauce and enjoy, with pickled ginger on the side.

    While hand roll sushi is fairly easy, it can be intimidating to those who have never worked with raw. Give it a try, though, and you’re sure to enjoy! And if you want to learn more about easy Japanese recipes – raw fish free! – be sure to check out my latest cookbook:

  • Regional Recipe Corner: Tai Meshi from Shikoku Island

    Regional Recipe Corner: Tai Meshi from Shikoku Island

    Shikoku Island (the smallest island in Japan) may have only four prefectures, but when it comes to regional cuisine, it is very wealthy. I had the chance to eat my way through the whole island when living in Japan. What struck me the most, was that, although most of the cuisine is fish-based, I never got bored eating fish every day. Each dish was a new adventure in tastes and textures.

    Map of Japan shikoku island

    Tai Meshi Recipe

    One day, we stopped at a restaurant in, Uwajima, Kochi Prefecture, called Gansui. One dish was Tai Meshi. It was a simply crafted dish that was wonderful. I’ll include my version of it in my Shikoku Island tribute.

    Chazuke is either hot or cold cooked rice, topped with a variety of ingredients, and usually immersed in hot green tea or stock. The practice of mixing rice with a liquid began back in the Heian era (794-1185). This recipe is an exception, a chakuze variation called shiru-kake meshi.

    Various regional versions of chakuze can be sampled around Japan. On Shikoku Island, another local chakuze is bokkake. Bokkake’s main ingredient varies from place to place–rabbit and mackerel are just two that come to mind. The main ingredient is cooked together with lots of different vegetables, almost like a stew, then everything is poured over hot rice.

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    sea bream for Tai Meshi recipe

    Tai Meshi

    Lucy Seligman
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    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 9 ounces (or 250g) sliced fresh tai (sea bream), cut sashimi-style
    • 3+ cups hot, firmly cooked Japanese white rice

    Cold Dashi Stock: Fast Version*

    • 2 cups water
    • 1 teaspoon dashi stock granules
    • 3 tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 tbsp mirin (sweet sake)
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt

    Condiments:

    Instructions
     

    • Make the dashi stock by placing all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir to combine well. Cool to room temperature, then chill well in the refrigerator until ready to use.
    • To serve, divide the cold dashi stock into four 1/2 cup servings. Place into four bowls and top with a freshly cracked egg. Divide the sea bream into four servings, and place attractively onto four small plates. Place the garnishes in small bowls on the table. Each person mixes the egg into the stock and adds the sea bream. Let sit to marinate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Divide the hot rice into four rice bowls and bring them to the table. Pour the fish/stock mixture over the hot rice, and top with the condiments. Stir lightly and eat.

    Notes

    *Of course you can make your own from scratch as well.
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    Some Other Shikoku Specialties: A mini-survey

    Sanuki Udon: From Kawaga Prefecture. Firmly textured and chewy udon noodles (thickly cut) are dipped into a strongly flavored soy-based sauce, with sesame seeds and minced green onions as condiments.

    Sobagome Zosui: Soba (buckwheat) grains are cooked in a flavored dashi/soy sauce stock, with bits of chicken, fishcake, and vegetables. Chopped trefoil (mitsuba) or green onions are sprinkled over the top and the dish is eaten like a thick soup.

    Tai Men (Men Kake): A whole sea bream is boiled. It is then dipped into cold somen (Japanese vermicelli) sauce, with the cold noodles (usually five different colors of somen are used.) Garnishes for the fish include thinly sliced boiled egg, sweetened cooked shiitake mushrooms, all dramatically presented on one big platter, with the whole fish in the center.

    Another Type of Tai Meshi: A whole sea bream is cooked in rice. Considered a Japanese classic.

    Sawachi Ryori: A culinary masterpiece of Tosa cooking, a traditional dish of Kochi Prefecture. Gorgeous platters, usually with diameters of 40 to 60 centimeters, offer a selection of every imaginable food; from local sashimi to katsuo no tataki, grilled fish, lightly flavored boiled vegetables, and many others.

    Local Products from Shikoku Prefectures

    Local products from Kagawa Prefecture:

    Onions, melons, grapes, winter persimmons, sea bream, shrimp, conger eel and udon noodles. In the old days, it was essential for a bride to arrive in her new home with a rolling pin and a cutting board to make homemade udon. Produces the largest amount of olives in Japan. 和三盆WASANBON（a special sugar produced in Kagawa or Tokushima Prefecture) used to make Wagashi (tea ceremony sweets).

    Local products from Tokushima Prefecture:

    Lotus root, spinach, carrots, yuzu (a fragrant citrus fruit),  Sudachi (すだち) is a  sour green Japanese citron fruit and sora-mame (a broad bean). Narutokintoki is a well-known sweet potato in this area. Narutowakame (なるとわかめ) is also famous.

    Local Products from Kochi Prefecture:

    Yuzu (Japanese citron) is also grown here for yuzu jam, miso, juice, and vinegar. Local fish includes top-quality skipjack and tuna.

    Aonori (fresh green nori) from Shimanto River is famous.  Aonori is used for sprinkling over Okonomiyaki.

    Buntan (Tosa Buntan), is a large Kochi orange with a taste that is very refreshing (さっぱり).

    Local Products from Ehime Prefecture:

    The most famous product is mikan oranges and other varieties of Japanese oranges. The largest chestnut harvest in Japan is located here, and the best katsuobushi (dried bonito shavings). There are also salt fields in Ehime.

  • Fried Sardines with Shiso

    Fried Sardines with Shiso

    I love shiso, also known as perilla leaves, and am always thinking about how to use it in recipes. In fact, in my last blog posting on yakumi: Essential Japanese Herbs, Spices, and Condiments, I wrote about shiso (perilla leaves).
     
    This is a simple yet absolutely delicious fish dish that not only uses shiso, but other Japanese standards such as soy sauce and rice vinegar are also used in the sauce. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It also makes for a great keto Japanese dish, for those of you eating low carb!

    Fried Sardines Stuffed with Shiso Recipe

    Fried Sardines Stuffed with Shiso in Soy-Vinegar Sauce

    Thanks for the Meal
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    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 medium-sized sardine fillets, deboned
    • Salt as needed
    • ½ cup (or as needed) stemmed shiso (perilla) leaves, shredded
    • cornstarch as needed
    • Vegetable oil as needed for deep-frying
    • 6 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
    • 6 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar

    Garnish:

    • 4 large shiso leaves

    Instructions
     

    • Place boned sardine fillets on a flat plate and sprinkle the meat side with salt. Leave for 30 minutes to soften any remaining bones. Rinse in cold water and pat dry. Carefully pick out any bones.
    • Place the shredded shiso leaves evenly in each fillet and roll up lengthwise. Secure carefully with toothpicks. Dredge well in the cornstarch and pat off the excess.
    • Combine the soy sauce and vinegar in a flat container. Fry the rolled fillets, four at a time, in the hot oil until they begin to float and turn brown all over. Immediately roll the fried, undrained sardines in the soy-vinegar sauce to coat. Carefully remove the toothpicks. Serve piping hot, on individual plates each garnished with a shiso leaf.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    fried sardines shiso recipe

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  • Katsuo no Tataki: Seared Bonito Sashimi with Garlic

    Katsuo no Tataki: Seared Bonito Sashimi with Garlic

    katsuo no tataki Seared Bonito Sashimi with Garlic

    Katsuo (Bonito) is a seasonal Japanese delicacy of early summer. The most popular way to eat it is as katsuo no tataki (“pounded bonito sashimi”), a traditional dish from Kochi Prefecture on Shikoku Island. (Part of Thanks for the Meal’s regional Japanese recipe collection.)

    This is a unique type of sashimi, the only kind to be eaten with garlic or seared before eating. In the past the bonito was pounded to soften the flesh, but nowadays condiments are rubbed into it and it is left to marinate so that it softens and absorbs their flavor. It is a perfect dish to make when the weather is hot and sultry, and when you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen.

    The origins of the dish are lost in the mists of time. One Edo-era (1603-1867) story holds that a European merchant tried to make smoked katsuo no tataki. According to another story, also of the Edo era, a European priest, homesick for beefsteak and garlic, used bonito as the closest red meat substitute.

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    Whatever the origins of the recipe, during the Edo era katsuo was so cherished that the Edokko – the people of Edo – used to say that in order to be able to afford hatsu-gatsuo, the first bonito of the season, they would willingly pawn their wives. Bonito first became popular with the samurai, since the word “katsuo” can also mean “winning man,” but it later spread to the common people.

    There are many ways to enjoy bonito in Japan, but perhaps the most traditional, besides katsuo no tataki, is as dried shavings. Known as katsuobushi, these are a basic ingredient in Japanese fish stock, dashi.

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    bonito sashimi

    Katsuo no Tataki: Seared Bonito Sashimi with Garlic

    Lucy Seligman
    5 from 1 vote
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    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb fresh bonito fillets with skin intact*, may replace with yellowtail or tuna
    • Salt
    • Large bowl of ice water
    • Homemade or bottled Ponzu dipping sauce, a vinegary mixture of soy sauce and sudachi or yuzu, types of Japanese citron

    Condiments**:

    • 5 tbsps or more minced or chopped garlic
    • 5 tbsps or more minced scallion
    • 3 tbsps or more grated fresh ginger
    • 1/2 cup fresh shiso (perilla) leaves, cut into slivers

    Garnishes (optional)

    • Whole shiso leaves
    • Kaiware (radish sprouts)
    • Edible flowers

    Instructions
     

    • Combine the condiments in a small bowl and set aside.
    • If using unseared bonito: Cut away any very dark parts of the bonito. Wash and pat dry. Spread out the fish and insert skewers–long metal ones are easiest to remove–parallel or fanning out to support the whole fillet. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Omit this step if you have bought seared bonito.
    • Quickly sear both sides of the fillets evenly over a very high heat. The outside of the bonito should turn white; the inside should look like rare steak. Omit this step if you have bought seared bonito.
    • Remove from the heat and plunge immediately into ice water. Gently remove the skewers by twisting them. Pat dry. Place the fillets on a cutting board, skin side up, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
    • Decorate a serving platter with the bonito slices, overlapping them in rows. Add a thick layer of the condiment mixture, patting down firmly, and drizzle liberally with ponzu sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
    • Just before serving, remove from the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap. Garnish if desired. Serve additional ponzu sauce in individual bowls, adding extra condiments if you like.

    Notes

    *I was able to buy already seared bonito at my local Japanese market here in the Bay area. It made for a faster preparation for this dish.
    **If desired, make additional condiment mixture to mix into ponzu sauce at the table while dining.
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  • Uosuki: Fish Sukiyaki

    Uosuki: Fish Sukiyaki

    uosuki fish sukiyaki

    Ask anyone about sukiyaki, and most will nod knowledgeably and say, “Ah, yes, a famous Japanese dish.” Mention Uosuki, though, and even most Japanese will react with a blank look. Uosuki is a form of fish sukiyaki, a famous regional dish from the Osaka area that originated on fishing boats in the Inland Sea. Fresh catch was quickly cut up and added to a nabe (iron pot) of simmering stock that was sweet and salty (amakara); the stock was said to hide the fishy smell. Vegetables were also thrown in the pot, and a beaten egg was used as a dipping sauce.  At the very end, udon noodles were added instead of rice.

    Maruman Honke, an Osaka restaurant that opened in 1862, claims to be the only establishment to offer authentic uosuki. Located in the theater district until World War II, Maruman Honke became a favorite post-performance hangout for theatergoers. The restaurant’s huge communal room was raucous, convivial place where friends and strangers alike shared the large tables.

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    Arigatou Gozaimasu / ありがとうございますいます –Lucy

    Today the restaurant is in a different area, and has the standard setup of a counter, tables, and small rooms for private parties. The uosuki hasn’t changed, though.

    Here is my version of uosuki. I use a variety of ultrafresh fish and other seafood – oysters and squid, for example – for a more complex taste. Vary the vegetables as desired: Chinese cabbage, shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves), daikon radish, and various Japanese mushrooms all blend in well. The addition of sansho pepper into the marinade for the fish also adds an elegant and additional subtle layer of flavor to this dish.

    For extra authenticity, try making Uosuki or Beef Sukiyaki (recipe) in a cast-iron sukiyaki pan.

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    Leave a note in the comments section if you make this dish!

    uosuki fish sukiyaki

    Uosuki: Fish Sukiyaki

    Lucy Seligman
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    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 lb to 2 ¼ lb assorted white-meat fish fillets, such as sea bream, yellowtail, or cod, cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 4 medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined, with tail left intact
    • 4 hamaguri clams, soaked in cold water for about an hour to cleanse them, then drained and rinsed
    • 3 cups cold dashi fish stock
    • 1/2 teaspoon sansho pepper
    • 1 ½ blocks grilled tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
    • 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and a crisscross incision made on the caps
    • 7 oz. negi (Japanese leeks), cut diagonally into 1-inch slices* Use white part only
    • 1 large bunch of mitsuba, trefoil, slightly stemmed, washed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
    • ½ lb shirataki (noodles made from devil’s tongue jelly), parboiled for 2 to 3 minutes, then drained and cut into thirds
    • 10 ½ oz dried udon noodles, slightly undercooked, drained and then rinsed in cold water
    • Cold water as needed

    Sauce:

    • ¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
    • ¼ cup white sugar
    • ½ cup sake
    • ½ cup mirin (sweet sake)
    • ¾ cup cold dashi stock

    Dipping sauce:

    • 4 to 8 eggs

    Instructions
     

    • Marinate the fish and shellfish in the cold dashi-sansho mixture in a shallow container for one hour in the refrigerator before cooking. Drain and place the marinated seafood in a serving bowl.
    • Arrange the rest of the ingredients on a serving platter and place the platter on the dining table. Put all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves and it’s hot. Adjust the taste as desired, adding more sugar or mirin for a sweeter taste, or more soy sauce for a saltier taste.
    • Pour half the sauce into the sukiyaki pan (or cast-iron pan), and then place the pan over a heating source and bring to a boil. Start adding a little of each ingredient to the pot and let cook over high heat until done. Dip each morsel into beaten egg and eat immediately. Continue adding the ingredients and sauce as needed. Add noodles to the pot toward the end of the meal, cooking only to reheat and eat.
    • If the sauce becomes too thick, add cold water as needed to thin it out.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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  • Nanbanzuke: Marinated Fried Fish from Nagasaki

    Nanbanzuke: Marinated Fried Fish from Nagasaki

    NanbanzukePortuguese and Spanish missionaries started trickling into Japan to spread the teachings of Christianity near the end of the Muromachi era (1392-1567), and their first foothold in Japan was Nagasaki. The Japanese took to referring to all Europeans as Nanbanjin or “Southern barbarians,” and gradually the term “nanban” came to mean anything related to European civilization; even the ship that brought the missionaries to the shores of Japan was referred to as nanbansen.

    In addition to importing a different religion and culture, the priests also sparked a culinary revolution of sorts. Nanban ryori (“Southern barbarian cuisine”) was a style of cooking characterized by deep-frying and the use of dried hot red peppers and onions, both of which the newcomers employed liberally in their cuisine. However, since the onion didn’t come to Japan until the seventeenth century and wasn’t popular until the Meiji era (1868-1912), Western cooks took to using Japanese leeks instead. The Japanese liked what they tasted and began creating dishes that used these two ingredients.

    One example is kamo nanban – soba with wild duck and leeks. By the Edo era (1603-1867) many cookbooks referred to any dish using leeks as nanban-style cooking. The preferred method of cooking in this Nagasaki regional cuisine was deep-frying. The frying of food, including tempura, can be traced back to the meatless Fridays the devoutly Catholic Europeans observed for religious reasons.

    Nanbanzuke (aka Nanban-zuke) is one facet of Nagasaki’s regional cooking style, and among its most enduring variations is Aji no Nanbanzuke. To make this dish, small horse mackerel are deep-fried and then marinated in a vinegar-based sauce that includes red peppers and leeks. Summer is considered the best season for horse mackerel, which is often served as sashimi, salt-grilled, boiled, or deep-fried. Many people think the latter is the best of all.

    During a recent trip back to Japan this summer, I not only enjoyed Aji no Nanbanzuke, but I helped cook a home-style version of this style of cooking using chicken and assorted vegetables. (I will post that recipe in the future.) What I like is that this is a pretty forgiving dish; an easy and delectable way to eat a lot of vegetables during hot and humid summer days, not to mention succulent fish and or chicken, and surprisingly light despite it being a fried dish!

    Leave a note in the comments section (see below) if you make this dish!

    Nanbanzuke

    Aji no Nanbanzuke

    Lucy Seligman
    No ratings yet
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    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 small whole fresh aji (horse mackerel or sardines), cleaned, scaled, gutted, and deboned
    • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
    • All-purpose white flour as needed
    • Vegetable oil for deep-frying

    Nanbansu (vinegar sauce)

    • 7 tablespoons cold water
    • 1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
    • 3 tablespoons sake
    • 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 or 2 small dried red peppers, seeded & sliced thinly
    • 3 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar, or to taste
    • ½ Japanese leek, white part only, charred & quartered or replace with 1 small onion, peeled & thinly sliced

    Garnish

    • Minced green onion to taste

    Optional Additional Vegetables if desired:

    • 1 or 2 piman (Japanese green pepper), seeded, cored and thinly sliced into strips
    • 1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into strips

    Instructions
     

    • Wash the cleaned fish and sprinkle them with the sea salt. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then wash the salt off in cold water and dry the fish well with paper towels. Dredge in flour. Deep-fry in the vegetable oil until the fish start to float and turn golden-brown. Drain quickly on paper towels, then place the still-hot fish in a shallow, nonaluminum container.
    • While the fish are being salted, make the sauce. Bring the water, sugar, sake, soy sauce, and red peppers to a boil. Turn the heat off and add the vinegar, leeks, and any other vegetables if using. Pour the sauce over the fish, let cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to two days, turning occasionally.
    • To server: Drain the fish and vegetables, and place on a serving plate. Sprinkle the fish generously with the minced green onions and drizzle a little of the sauce over them. Serve cold.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Photo copyright: kandki / 123RF Stock Photo

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  • Real Eel: An Electrifying Dish from Nagoya

    Real Eel: An Electrifying Dish from Nagoya

    Once tasted, the delicate flavor of eel (unagi), prepared according to the special ways of Japanese cuisine, will linger in your memory forever. Since the Edo period (1603-1867), eel has traditionally been eaten in the height of midsummer on the Day of the Ox (July 23); popular custom has it that anyone who eats eel on this day will have extra stamina to cope with the summer heat. This is a custom I follow to this day! But the true gourmet’s season for eel consumption is late fall to winter (the time of spawning), when eel are at their best, even tastier than usual.

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    chopping eel

    There are many ways to serve unagi: the most popular is kabayaki, eel grilled in sauce, served separately from rice; if served on rice, it is called unaju. Or there is shirayaki, eel grilled without sauce, served with wasabi (horseradish) and soy sauce. A more unusual dish, unagi kamameshi, is the creation of Torisuzu, a chain of restaurants in Nagoya, where I lived for a number of years. It combines flavored rice and grilled eel with a tasty stock poured over the top, and wasabi and chopped green onions for an extra flourish. After tasting this dish just once, you’ll be a convert for life.

    Be warned, this recipe needs constant attention – no running away from the stove while it’s cooking.

    Buy the unagi sauce from a Japanese supermarket or supplier as it is virtually impossible for the home cook to make – in the kitchen at Torisuzu, a large vat of unagi bones, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin (sweet sake) is kept specially heated and cooking for a full three months before use. It’s also advisable to buy ready-grilled kabayaki eel (frozen if necessary), as grilling fresh eel is an intricate art unto itself.

    eel

    Unagi Kamameshi

    Lucy Seligman

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cups short-grain Japanese white rice
    • 4 ½ cups water
    • ¾ cup unagi sauce
    • 14 oz. kabayaki (grilled eel, thickly sliced), Look in Japanese supermarkets, they are usually sold in vacuumed sealed packages in the frozen section.

    For the stock:

    • 3 cups water
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dashi (fish stock granules)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons low-salt soy sauce
    • 1 ½ teaspoons sake
    • A pinch of salt

    To garnish:

    • ½ cup minced or finely chopped green onions
    • Wasabi horseradish to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Drain and let sit for 30 minutes prior to cooking.
    • Place the rice and water in a heavy, deep, medium-sized saucepan with a well-fitting lid. Boil vigorously, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. To keep from boiling over, tap the top of the pan a number of times with a spoon. Most of the water should disappear – if it evaporates too quickly, turn down the heat during the last few minutes of cooking to avoid burning.
    • Pour in the unagi sauce and mix well, then turn heat down to medium-simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eel slices, cover again, and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, prepare the stock. Heat water and stir in the dashi until dissolved. Add soy sauce and sake and adjust seasoning.
    • To serve, mix the eel into the rice and serve in individual bowls. Pass the stock, green onion, and wasabi separately, allowing each person to mix in as they desire.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Not only can you find a number of recipes from Nagoya on Thanks For the Meal, but we have a whole collection of regional Japanese recipes from across the country.

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    eel in package
    Here’s the one I purchased at my local Asian mall.  Leave a note in the comments section (see below) if you make this dish!