Buri (Yellowtail) Teriyaki

Teriyaki Yellowtail ぶり照り焼き

Growing up in Minnesota, teriyaki chicken was a dish we had a lot as seafood was something we rarely saw unless it was canned tuna or a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. The teriyaki sauce is irresistible as it is sweet and when cooked becomes a bit caramelized.

What makes this recipe better than what I grew up with is that it includes mirin, a sweet syrup that gives a glaze to the sauce and adds umami. Be sure to look for hon-mirin at the supermarket. It is authentic mirin and is not at all like the mass produced mirin.

Buri (yellowtail) is in season this time of year. It is a fish that is farmed, but we look for the wild buri when we can find it as it has a better texture and flavor than the farmed fish.

Teriyaki is a classic sauce that can be used with seafood like salmon, tuna, or swordfish (mekajiki) as well as with chicken. This is the traditional teriyaki recipe. Easy to remember and a breeze to cook. For the chicken, we prefer to bake it in the oven after letting it marinade overnight.

Serves 4

4 filets of yellowtail (buri) (about 100 grams each)

Teriyaki Sauce:

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

4 Tablespoons saké

4 Tablespoons hon-mirin

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 shishitōgarashi green pepper (optional)

salt

flour

salad oil

Sprinkle some salt on the filets. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. This helps to get rid of any fishiness, draws out the umami in the fish, and rids it of excess liquid. After 30 minutes pat dry with a paper towel.

Make the teriyaki sauce and set aside.

Dust the filets with flour.

In a fry pan put a small amount of salad oil. Sauté the shishitō green peppers until they blister and set aside. Add the yellowtail and cook over medium heat until both sides are grilled, but not cooked all the way through.

Wipe the fry pan with a paper towel to get rid of any excess oil. Add the teriyaki sauce and slowly bring up the heat until the sauce comes to a boil. Turn off the heat and serve. Garnish with the shishitōgreen peppers.

* Be careful as the sugar and mirin in the sauce can burn.

* The flour will help to thicken the teriyaki sauce.

April Seasonal Japanese Seafood

uni

uni pasta

spring sashimi

 

kinmedai sushi

madai carpaccio

Saikyo miso marinated honmasu

The cherry blossoms have peaked in Tokyo as the weather has warmed up. This time of year we are seeing the last of the creamy shirako (milt) that we love so much as well as many fish eggs. The nabé hot pot is put on the higher shelf in the kitchen as we are not using it a few times a week as we were just last month. Being married to a Japanese fishmonger we eat a lot of seafood, from our breakfasts, usually with a grilled fish like a salted salmon or a himono (salted and air-dried fish) and seasonal sashimi at dinner. Here are some of our favorite dishes this time of year followed by a list of Japanese seasonal seafood you'll come across if visiting Japan in April.

There is so much to love about Japanese seafood in spring. In particular, there is a a pink-fleshed kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) that has a supple texture which is spectacular as sashimi or sushi. If you are lucky the sushi chef will just sear it to bring out a unique texture and aroma. Kinmedai is also often served as nitsuké, simmered in a sweet soy broth until just cooked through. In Japan, look for kinmedai from the port of Choshi in Chiba as it is line-caught and harvested in shallow waters so it is rich with fat.

Uni on its own may be hard for some to swallow, but once it is cooked with garlic, olive oil, and tomato paste and topped over pasta it becomes a luxurious lunch. A very easy dish that anyone can whip up in minutes with this recipe. Katsuo is in season in the spring and then again in autumn. This time of year it is lean, while in fall it is rich with fat. We love it this time of year as sashimi.

 Madai (sea bream) is available all-year long as it is a commonly farmed fish. But, this time of year we can get wild madai that has a better texture than the farmed fish which can be flabby. We love the wild madai for a simple carpaccio (above) topped with shiso, myōga, benitadé, and chives. Myōga is in the ginger family and adds a fresh pop to the dish, shiso adds a minty aroma, and the benitadé adds a bit of pepper. Shinji also loves the honmasu (cherry salmon) this time of year. Here he marinates it in a sweet Saikyō miso marinade overnight and then grills it.

Most of the Japanese fish names are linked to a photo of the fish.

Ainame  鮎魚女 fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii）

 Akagai 赤貝 ark shell (Scapharca broughtonii)

 Aoyagi   青柳  surf clam (Mactra chinensis)

 Asari  浅利  Japanese littleneck clams (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Bora  鰡  flathead mullet or gray mullet (Mugil cephalus)

Chidai 血鯛  crimson sea bream (Evynnis japonica)

Chiayu 稚鮎  young ayu or sweet fish (Plecoglossus altivelis)

Honmasu 本鱒 cherry salmon (Oncorhynchus masou)

Hotaru Ika   蛍烏賊擬   firefly squid  (Enoploteuthis chunii)

Hotate 帆立貝 scallops (Patinopecten yessoensis)

Hoya 海鞘 sea squirt (Halocynthia roretzi)

Ishidai  石鯛  black seabream (Oplegnathus fasciatus)

Katsuo   鰹  skipjack tuna or oceanic bonito (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Kasago   笠子  scorpion fish (Sebastiscus marmoratus)

karauni  殻雲丹  sea urchin (Anthocidaris crassispina)

Kinki 黄血魚  thorny head (Sebastolobus macrochir)

Kinmedai 金目鯛 (sometimes called kinme) splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)

Kihada maguro  黄肌鮪   yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

Kohada  小鰭  gizzard shad (Konosirus pumctatus)

Kurokarei 黒鰈   flounder or black plaice (Pleuronectes obscurus)

Kurodai 黒鯛   Japanese black porgy (Acanthopagrus schlegelii)

Maaji 真鯵 Japanese jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus)

Magarei 真鰈 littlemouth flounder (Pleuronectes herzensteini)

Madai  真鯛  sea bream (Pagurus major)

Mategai   真手貝  razor clam (Solen strictus)

Mirugai  海松食   geoduck (Tresus keenae)

Mebaru 目張   rockfish (Sebastes inermis)

Nishin  鰊   Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

Okoze 虎魚   scorpion fish (Inimicus japonicus)

Sakura ebi  桜蝦  sakura shrimp (Sergia lucens)

Sawara  鰆  Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Sayori   針魚  halfbeak (Hyporhamphus sajori)

Sazae   栄螺   turban shell (Turbo cornutus)

Shako  蝦蛄  mantis shrimp (Oratosquilla oratoria)

Shirauo 白魚  whitefish or ice goby (Salangichthys microdon)

Shira ebi 白海老 glass shrimp (Pasiphaea japonica)

Sumiika  墨烏賊  cuttlefish (Sepia (Platysepia) esculenta)

Tachiuo 太刀魚 cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus)

Tairagai 平貝  pen shell or fan shell (Atrina (Servatrina) pectinata)

Tobiuo 飛魚 Japanese flying fish (Cypselurus agoo agoo)

Tokisake 時鮭   young chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Torigai 鳥貝 heart clam (Fulvia mutica)

Tsubugai  つぶ貝 whelk  (Buccinum undatum)

December Seasonal Japanese Seafood

ankimo

asari pasta

buri kamayaki

Winter has arrived in Tokyo. The waters surrounding the island nation are cold in most parts of the country and the fish are rich with fat. At the moment Shinji, my husband who is a fishmonger, is crazy about wild buri (yellowtail) from Hokkaido. We look for the kama (collar) of the buri and other larger fish to salt and grill. He’s also excited as up until now the monkfish in the market has been imported but now that it’s cold the monkfish is domestic and he loves to make ankimo (monkfish liver). It’s often called “foie gras of the sea”. And while the texture and appearance is similar to foie gras it’s not as rich in fat. We also love kinmedai as nitsuke, simply simmered in a soy and saké broth with a bit of ginger. As for clams, we love asari in pasta and shijimi for miso soup.

Akagarei – 赤鰈 flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

Amadai – 赤甘鯛 tilefish (Branchiostegus japonicus)

Ankou – 鮟鱇 monkfish (Lophiomus setigerus)

Asari – 浅利 littleneck clams (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Bora – 鯔 flathead gray mullet (Mugil cephalus cephalus)

Buri – 鰤 Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Fugu – 河豚 blowfish or puffer fish (Takifugu porphyreus)

Hata Hata – 鰰 sailfin sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus)

Hirame – 鮃  olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Honmaguro – 本鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Houbou – 魴 gurnard (Chelidonichthys spinosus)

Hoya – 海鞘 sea squirt (Halocynthia roretzi)

Inada –  イナダ young Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Kaki – 牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Kanburi – 寒鰤 Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Kawahagi – 皮剥 thread-sail filefish (Stephanolepis cirrhifer)

Kinki – 喜知次 thornhead (Sebastolobus macrochir)

Kinme – 金目 splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)

Kurumaebi – 車海老 Japanese tiger prawn (Penaeus (Melicertus) japonicus)

Madara – 真鱈 Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus)

Makarei – 真鰈 littlemouth flounder (Pleuronectes yokohamae)

Managatsuo – 真名鰹 silver pomfret (Pampus punctatissimus)

Madara shirako – 白子 milt from Pacific cod

Mebaru – 目張 rockfish (Sebastes inermis)

Meji maguro – young maguro

Mizudako – 水蛸 North Pacific giant octopus (Octopus dofleini)

Mutsu – むつ gnomefish (Scombrops boops)

Namako – 生子 sea cucumber (Stichopus japonica)

Nametagarei – 婆鰈 slime flounder (MIicrostomus achne)

Saba – 鯖  Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Sakuraebi – 桜蝦  sakura shrimp (Sergia lucens)

Sawara – 鰆  Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Sazae – 栄螺 horned turban shell (Turbo cornutus)

Shijimi – 大和蜆 corbicula clams (Corbicula japonica)

Sukesoutara – 介党鱈   Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma)

Suzuki – 鱸  Japanese sea perch (Lateolabrax japonicus)

Uni –  sea urchin

Wakasagi – 若細魚  Japanese smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

Warasa – 鰤 Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Zuwaigani – 頭矮蟹 snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio)

November Seasonal Japanese Seafood １１月旬の鮮魚

November Seasonal Sashimi

Monkfish Liver

We love this time of year as the seafood is rich with fat as the waters turn cold. Some of our favorites this time of year is ankou (monkfish), for its meat which we often make in a nabe (hot pot) but also for its liver.

The photo above is of monkfish liver that we made at home. The liver is often sold at supermarkets this time of year. Simply marinate in a bit of salt and sake, roll up in plastic wrap and then foil, steam until cooked through, then chill and slice. Serve with a citrusy soy ponzu and a sprinkle of shichimi (seven spice). Many Japanese gourmands call it the foie gras of the sea, albeit not as rich, so a delicate treat.

We also love sashimi this time of year. The other photo is of kinmedai, wild warasa (young yellowtail), tachiuo, aori ika, and maguro. All are in season this time of year.

Katsuo is lovely seared tataki-style, scallops we love as sashimi or sautéed in butter. Swordfish calls out for a sweet soy teriyaki sauce. And while salmon is available all-year long, must of it is farmed and imported. This time of year we look for domestic, wild salmon.

Click on the name of the fish in Japanese to see a photo.

Akagai 赤貝 ark shell (Scapharca broughtonii)

Akagarei 赤鰈 flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

Ankou鮟鱇monkfish (Lophiomus setigerus)

Ankimo – monkfish liver

Aori ika障泥烏賊 big fin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana)

Ara 𩺊 rock cod (Nuphon spinosus)

Buri鰤Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Chidai   血鯛  crimson sea bream (Evynnis japonica)

Ginsake 銀鮭 coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

Hamadai 浜鯛 ruby snapper (Etelis coruscans)

Hirame 鮃 olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Hokke 𩸽 arabesque greenling (Pleurogrammus azonus)

Hotate 帆立貝 scallops (Patinopecten yessoensis)

Ibodai 疣鯛 butterfish (Psenopsis anomala)

Itoyoridai 糸縒鯛  golden threadfin-bream (Nemipterus virgatus)

Katsuo鰹  skipjack tuna or oceanic bonito (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Kawahagi 皮剥 thread-sail filefish (Stephanolepis cirrhifer)

Kihada maguro 黄肌鮪yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

Kurigani helmet crab (Telmessus cheiragonus)

Maguro  鮪tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Maiwashi 真鰯  Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus)

Medai Japanese butterfish (Hyperoglyphe japonica)

Mekajiki   女旗魚  swordfish (Xiphias gladias)

Mishima Okoze – Japanese stargazer (Uranoscopus japonicus)

Mizudako 水蛸 North Pacific giant octopus (Octopus dofleini)

Sake鮭salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Sanma秋刀魚Pacific saury (Cololabis saira)

Shirako – milt sac, often from cod, prized when from fugu

Shishamo – Japanese longfin smelt (Spirinchus lanceolatus)

Tachiuo 太刀魚 cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus)

Tarabagani 鱈場蟹 Alaska king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

Tsubugai  つぶ貝 whelk  (Buccinum undatum)

Warasa 鰤 young Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Yanaginomai – yellow-body rockfish (Sebastes steindachneri)

October Seasonal Japanese Seafood １０月旬の鮮魚

As the waters become cooler the fish become rich with fat. We love sanma(Pacific saury) this time of year, both as sashimi, or simply salted and grilled. If there is a nice cup of nihonshuon the table, eating the guts of the sanmais also a treat. For miso soup a handful of shijimi(corbicula clams) into the pot brings lots of umami and flavor. A bowl asari (Japanese little neck clam) steamed in nihonshu is a perfect appetizer to dinner. While I always thought of hirame (halibut) and karei(flounder) as white fish and hence non-fatty that is not at all the case. These flatfish can take on a lot of fat - which you can actually see in the flesh. These are great as sashimi, or after a day or two we love to simmer until tender in nihonshu.

Ainame 鮎並 fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii)

Aka garei 赤鰈flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

Amaebi 甘海老 sweet shrimp(Pandalus borealis)

Ankou  鮟鱇 monkfish (Lophius litulon)

Asaba garei 浅羽鰈 dusky sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata)

Asari 浅蜊 Japanese little neck clam (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Awabi 鮑 abalone (Haliotis sorenseni)

Babagarei 婆鰈 slime flounder (Microstomus achne)

Baka gai馬鹿貝surf clam (Mactra chinensis)

Benizuwai gani 紅頭矮蟹　red snow crab (Chionoecetes japonicus)

Botan ebi ボタンエビBotan shrimp  (Pandalus nipponesis)

Chidai  血鯛 crimson sea bream (Evynnis japonica)

Hakkaku or tokubire 八角 sailfin poacher (Podothecus sachi)

Hata hata鰰  sailfin sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus)

Hime ezobora姫蝦夷法螺  sea snail (Neptunea arthritica)

Hirame 鮃 olive halibut (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Hokkai ebi or hokkai shima ebi 北海海老 Hokkai shrimp (Pandalus latirostris)

Hokke 𩸽arabesque greenling (Pleurogrammus azonus)

Hokki gai (uba gai) 姥貝 hen clam (Pseudocardium sachalinense)

Hokkoku aka ebi oramaebi 北国赤蝦  Alaskan pink shrimp (Pandalus borealis)

Hon maguro (or kuromaguro) 黒鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Hotate gai 帆立貝 Japanese scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis)

Ibodai 疣鯛 butterfish (Psenopsis anomala)

Inada いなだ young amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Itoyoridai 糸縒鯛  golden threadfin-bream (Nemipterus virgatus)

Kaki  牡蠣oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Kamasu 大和叺barracuda (Sphyraena japonica)

Katsuo 鰹  skipjack tuna or oceanic bonito (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Kegani 毛蟹 horsehair crab (Erimacrus isenbeckii)

Kemushi kajika 毛虫鰍 sea raven or toubetsu kajika (Hemitripterus villosus)

Kinki or Kichiji 黄血魚thornhead (Sebastolobus macrochir)

Kinmedai 金目鯛  splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)

Kitsune mebaru 狐目張 or mazoifox jacopever (Sebastes vulpes)

Kuro gashiragarei 黒頭鰈cresthead flounder (Pleuronectes schrenki)

Kurosoi 黒曹以 jacopever (Sebastes zonatusschlegeli)

Madako 真蛸 octopus (Octopus vulgaris)

Madara or tara 真鱈 Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus)

Magarei 真鰈 littlemouth flounder (Pleuronectes herzensteini)

Maguro  鮪 tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Maiwashi or iwashi 真鰯 spotline sardine  (Sardinops melanostictus)

Mako garei真子鰈 marbled flounder (Pleuronectes yokohamae)

Masaba or saba 真鯖  Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Masu 鱒trout (there are many types of trout – see nijimasu, sakuramasu)

Matara or tara 真鱈  cod (Gadus macrocephalus)

Matsukawa garei or tantaka or takanoha 松皮鰈 barfin flounder (Verasper moseri)

Meji maguro    young Pacific bluefin tuna

Mizudako 水蛸 North Pacific giant octopus(Octopus dofleini)

Muroaji 室鰺 Brown-striped mackerel scad (Decapterus muroadsi)

Niji masu虹鱒rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Nishin 鰊 Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

Numagarei or wakagarei 沼鰈 starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus)

Sake 鮭 salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Sakura masu or yamame 桜鱒 cherry salmon (Oncorhynchus masou maso)

Sanma 秋刀魚 Pacific saury (Cololabis saira)

Sawara  鰆 Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Shako 蝦蛄 mantis shrimp (Oratosquilla oratoria)

Shiira 粃 mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)

Shijimi 大和蜆corbicula clam (Corbicula japonica)

Shirauo 白魚 icefish (Salangichthys microdon)

Shishamo 柳葉魚 capelin (Spirinchus lanceolatus)

Souhachi 宗八鰈 pointhead flounder (Cleishenes pinetorum)

Sukesou dara 鯳Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma)

Suna garei砂鰈 sand flounder (Limanda punctatissima)

Surumeika 鯣烏賊 Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus)

Tachiuo 太刀魚 cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus)

Tarabagani 鱈場蟹 Alaska king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

Tsubugai  つぶ貝 whelk  (Buccinum undatum)

Ugui 鯎 Japanese dace (Tribolodon Hakonensis)

Unagi 鰻 Japanese eel  (Anguilla japonica)

Wakasagi 若細魚 Japanese smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

Warasa 鰤 Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Yanagi no mai 柳の舞 yellow rockfish (Sebastes steindachneri)