buying and preparing fish/seafood

[Hiroyuki]

Actually, anisakis is the virtually the only parasite that we have to watch out for.  All others are harmless to humans.

←

There is actually another that I can recall from my parasitology courses at university , oh so many years ago. Chlonorchis sinensis or the so-called Chinese liver fluke is usually benign if the infestation in the human host is light to moderate. Heavy infestations are more problematic. Although it is commonly called the Chinese liver fluke the parasite is prevalent all through East and Southeast Asia. Most Chinese do not eat raw fish on a regular basis.

Enjoy your sashimi.

←

OK, let's face it, we don't eat all fish raw. We only eat sashimi-grade flesh of a limited species of fish raw. I learned that your parasite, clonorchis sinensis, lives in freshwater fish, and we usually don't eat freshwater fish raw, except some.

I admit that there are some Japanese who like to eat any fresh fish raw.

[prasantrin]

Is this a joke thread or something?  Giving up eating fish because of parasites?

Why does it have to be a joke? As Katie mentioned, it's difficult to reconcile one's intellectual reactions with one's emotional reactions to such things, especially for those of us with very active imaginations. As a result, some may feel queasy when eating fish for the next few weeks (I had some last night, fwiw, and will probably have some tonight, as well). Why is that feeling so difficult to understand or, at the very least, empathize with?

[Hiroyuki]

empathize with?

←

No way!

I just want to say to them, "Be informed. Think twice before you post."

Here's a nice thread in the General Food Topics forum:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=93187

I don't mean to offend anyone with this post and my previous post.

[Ben Hong]

we usually don't eat freshwater fish raw, except some.

I admit that there are some Japanese who like to eat any fresh fish raw.

←

Beggin' your pardon, Hiryuki-san. You are absolutely right in that only some Japanese eat any kind of fish raw. A few years ago, I hosted a few Japanese diplomatic types at a posh salmon fishing lodge. Hmmm, the salmon and trout that were caught disappeared without ever seeing the grill or stove.

[GlorifiedRice]

Years ago a friend and I were locked in the walk in fridge of the restaurant we worked at as a joke. They turned off the lights and we looked down and the shrimp in the basins were GLOWING in the dark!

Ocean Dumping and Pollution is fun, huh?

[Evan]

Years ago a friend and I were locked in the walk in fridge of the restaurant we worked at as a joke. They turned off the lights and we looked down and the shrimp in the basins were GLOWING in the dark!

Ocean Dumping and Pollution is fun, huh?

←

Funny because it's not just from the ocean. I was at a Sushi restaurant and I ended up with a tamago sushi that was glowing. I felt that it was not normal to see that so I let the waitress know about it and she took it to show the itamae. I saw the puzzled look on the itamae's face as the waitress was showing it to him. Then the waitress brought back a different sushi. Fortunately, the sushi that was brought back did not glow in the dark.

[OnigiriFB]

Hi,

I just came to the conclusion that I really don't eat that much fish anymore. Since I live in Iowa, miles and miles away from the coast, seafood in here just wasn't the same. Well it looks like this midwest is finally catching on to the benefits and tastiness of seafood so the supply here while laughable by Asian standards is getting better and better. Since I seem to have a much better supply at the asian market and even my local supermarket I thought I'd try to put fish back to where it belong in my diet, i.e. at least 3-4 times a week if not more.

It seems though the only recipe I really know how to do anymore is miso salmon which while good tends to get boring after awhile. I don't ever remember getting bored eating fish in Thailand. Since my diet is more Japanese than anything I'd really like to get some good Japanese fish recipes. Tasukete kudasai.

I will eat anything but what's usually easiest to find here is cod, haddock, tilapia, salmon. Anyone know some good recipes I can use for these types of fish? I do have a pretty good Asian markets where I can get a more diverse types of fish but the problem I run into often is I really don't know what the heck I"m looking at in the freezer cases and they usually aren't labeled.

Thanks in advance.

[paul o' vendange]

Well, outside of the obvious - nigiri, etc., others you perhaps have already thought of, immediately coming to mind, include grilled teriyaki for the salmon (as I could live on teriyaki); one-pot for the cod, given its texture, and the host of techniques ("salt-grilling," steamed, and foil-wrapped - akin to papillote) discussed by Shizuo Tsuji in Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. Do you have the book? Highly recommended - watashi wa Aikido no seito desu - Shihan no uchideshi desu - and while uchideshi, as a French cook, I was usually requested to make dojo meals. I am grateful I learned something of the Japanese culinary way there, and Japanese Cooking was very helpful.

Good luck!

Edited November 13, 2006 by paul o' vendange (log)

[OnigiriFB]

That book has been in my Amazon.com wishlist forever. I really need to order it next payday. Thanks Paul. I have done papillote for salmon but never thought to use the technique for cod. Is that one you meant?

What's salt-grilling? I've never heard of that.

[paul o' vendange]

That book has been in my Amazon.com wishlist forever. I really need to order it next payday. Thanks Paul. I have done papillote for salmon but never thought to use the technique for cod. Is that one you meant?

What's salt-grilling? I've never heard of that.

←

Actually, for the cod, I wasn't thinking papillote, but that would be great too. I was thinking of one-pot cooking: a shallow poach, stew or brothy-main course given its texture. Also, tempura batter or dredged in rice flour, deep fried: crunchy, moistened with a good, sweetish broth, served in a bowl with accompanying vegetables poached in the same broth, or my favorite, goma-ae.

Chef Tsuji describes salt-grilling - shio-yaki - as a method of marinating; it involves pre-salting fish by any one of a set of salting techniques, allowing to rest, then grilling, by any one of a skewer-and-grill techniques. My emphasis (italics) comes from why I love Japanese ways generally, and Japanese cuisine specifically. The simplest thing - salting - codified into a way, suited to a purpose, sublimated to excellence by honoring the raw material. One example may serve.

For a sea bass salt-grill (Suzuki shio-yaki), he recommends fairly prodigious salting using the furi-jo technique: sprinkle salt onto a cutting board from one's hand, positioned about 14" above cutting board. Place filet, skin side down, and allow salt to "sift through your fingers onto the fish," presumably from the same height (which, I'm guessing, gives precisely the best salt density-dispersal(!)). Allow 40-60 minutes for salt to penetrate.

For salt-grilling, Chef Tsuji indicates three things are key: skin should be crisp; fish just to done and no more; and served and eaten hot. For the sea bass, he describes using a "flat-skewer" (hira-gushi) technique, which is a way to thread several pieces of fish filet on a set of skewers - inserted cross-grain through the meat, in the middle of the flesh; thereby, preventing flaky-grain fishes from falling through into the fire. Chef Tsuji then goes on to describe the method - over a really hot fire, skin side first, to about 60% done (about 5 minutes), until "the flesh on the upper side of the filet will begin to bead with pinkish sweat; skin facing the fire will be crisp golden brown." Turn and continue grilling until done, about 2 minutes. The chef also includes extensive information on what sides would best go with what fishes, given levels of fat and oil, acids in sides, etc.

Really a great read. I hope you are able to grab the book soon.

Edited November 13, 2006 by paul o' vendange (log)

[jkonick]

The salt grilling technique is great with oily fish, if you can get some. Mackerel is my favorite, I just made it the other night in fact!

[Domestic Goddess]

Hi, here are some recipe links from some of my friends blogs:

Crispy Tuna Belly

Baked Tuna Belly

Grilled Salmon Teriyaki

Stir-fried Fish with Black Beans

Sweet and Sour Fish

[Hiroyuki]

Cod:

1. Grilled

2. Simmered with sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and dashi (nitsuke) like this

3. An kake (coated with flour/potato starch, deep-fried, and served with sweet and sour sauce thickened with potato starch on top) like this

Salmon:

1. Grilled

2. Ishikari nabe (salmon and various vegetables in miso-based broth, often with butter) like this

I don't know about haddock or tilapia. Probably I would cook haddock like cod and grill tilapia like sea bream.

[sanrensho]

I have to second Hiroyuki's recommendations for nitsuke and nabe (hotpot). The latter can be used with all kinds of fish and you can play with a lot of different condiments for variety. And you get your vegetables at the same time!

Edited November 13, 2006 by sanrensho (log)

[Evan]

May I suggest steaming the fish in addition to these grilling and braising methods? But I would only suggest that you use fresh fish.

A little chinese flavor but add salt, sliced ginger, scallions, and garlic to the fish and steam. You can also add soy sauce but I prefer without it. Very simple but very good, I've done this with halibut, sole, striped bass, tilapia, rockfish, pretty much most any fresh fish will do.

Of course anyfish fried is also good too.

[Lucil]

i would like to know what are the best seasons to enjoy ootoro , mekajiki , aji , fugu , unagi , anago .... and are there any fishes that can be found only in certain seaons.

[Route246]

Fugu is definitely in the winter. I think o-toro is fine all year round. The others, I'm not sure about. In general, I prefer the fishes that seem to be in season during the coldest part of winter for some reason.

i would like to know what are the best seasons to enjoy ootoro , mekajiki , aji , fugu , unagi , anago .... and are there any fishes that can be found only in certain seaons.

←

[Hiroyuki]

When you live in Japan, supermarkets will tell you what fish is in season at any given time of the year. Sanma (saury) are in season now.

1. Ootoro (you mean "hon (or kuro) maguro" right?): Autumn, winter, spring

2. Megajiki: Autumn and winter

3. Aji: Summer

4. Fugu: Winter

5. Unagi: Winter (not summer, although they are consumed the most in the summer, especially on "Doyou no hi")

6. Anago: Summer

Warning: Different people will give you different seasons for each fish.

For example, this table slightly differs from that table.

Edited November 14, 2006 by Hiroyuki (log)

[Lucil]

thx hiroyuki. but the ootoro i see in the supermarkets are usually bachi ootoro..

wad does bachi means? could u giv me some nice recommendations for this winter as well. thanks alot.

and wad is the difference between hon maguro and normal maguro ??

Edited November 15, 2006 by Lucil (log)

[Hiroyuki]

thx hiroyuki. but the ootoro i see in the supermarkets are usually bachi ootoro..

wad does bachi means? could u giv me some nice recommendations for this winter as well. thanks alot.

and wad is the difference between hon maguro and normal maguro ??

←

You are right. Kuro (or hon) maguro ootoro is served at high-end sushi restraurants.

Bachi is short for mebachi, which roughly means bigeye.

Mebachi maguro is called bigeye tuna.

Kuro (=black) or hon (real, authentic) maguro is the king of maguro! It's the biggest, tastiest, and the most expensive of all tuna species. Kuro (or hon) maguro is called bluefin tuna in English.

Minami maguro (Southern bluefin tuna) is the second largest, and the second best.

Mebachi magro (bigeye tuna) is the third.

Kihada maguro (yellowfin tuna) and bincho or binnaga maguro (Albacore) are the cheapest. Kihada does not have toro, and bincho is often processed into cans.

Recommendations for this winter? But where do you live?

Tara is best in winter. It's spelled 鱈 in Kanji, which is fish + snow!

Other recommendations include:

Buri (yellowtail)

Fugu

Ankou (angler fish)

[Lucil]

thanks for all ur help... what is kohada and uni best season 1 last question..hehehe

[Hiroyuki]

thanks for all ur help... what is kohada and uni best season 1 last question..hehehe

←

Kohada: Winter, but

Shinkou (young, smaller kohada): Summer

Uni: Summer. Note, however, that its best season varies depending on the region and species.

I have a feeling that all of your questions are pointless unless you come over to Japan to taste them. I don't know where you live, though.

[JasonTrue]

I believe much of Japan's supply of uni is from California (northern, if my fuzzy memory serves me correctly), though thanks to the export market and the limited US demand it doesn't necessarily get widely sold in the US.

On the other hand, my neck of the woods (Washington state) is an important source of Mirugai (geoduck), which probably matters more to wealthy Hong Kong foodies than to Japanese, but has some presence in Japan as well.

[Lucil]

thanks for all ur help... what is kohada and uni best season 1 last question..hehehe

←

Kohada: Winter, but

Shinkou (young, smaller kohada): Summer

Uni: Summer. Note, however, that its best season varies depending on the region and species.

I have a feeling that all of your questions are pointless unless you come over to Japan to taste them. I don't know where you live, though.

←

i'm frm singapore, and the supplies here come frm japan..

[yunnermeier]

I'm desperately hoping someone from Japan reads this (it's already 9pm there now:/) because I want to make something tonight!

I remember eating salmon with some kind of butter sauce at every single one of my host families' houses (each of us had 5 or so families) so I reckon it must be a very common dish. It was great!

Can someone tell me the recipe for this?

If not , a simple recipe made from shoyu or miso would suffice.

If no one replies this (I really want that butter sauce haha) , I'll use this: 1/4 cup mirin, 1/4 cup white miso, 1/4 cup sugar. Combine in pan over medium heat and whisk. Slather over fish (the recipe says cod but I'm using salmon) and grill.