at home japanese tapas…

the next seven recipes will be very different ideas for sushi at home.  these are simple, super yummy, and will definitely impress whoever you’re making them for.   none of the usual boring california rolls or spicy tunas here. (not that they aren’t good or anything hehe)

PS.  have a blow torch handy…

japanese tapas: wagyu beef nigiri, grilled maitake mushroom

ingredients:

wagyu beef- buy the super marbled
sushi rice- see recipe in "sujiki, uni, sushi rice" post
maitake mushrooms
meyer lemon
scallions
shabu shabu sauce
ponzu
olive oil
fine sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

tools:

blowtorch

directions:

1.  drizzle maitake mushrooms with olive oil, toss with salt and cracked black pepper.  place on grill. you
want it to be slightly charred for a nice smoky flavor.

2.  make sushi rice into nigiri.  you can always look at youtube to leanr how to make nigiri. practice makes
perfect. top nigiri with slices of the marbled wagyu.

3.  thinly slice scallion tips and meyer lemon for garnish. mix half parts shabu shabu sauce and ponzu together.

4.  torch the top of the beef until the top is slightly charred but still a bit rare underneath.  season with fine sea
salt and garnish with scallions.

5.  plating: place grilled maitake mushrooms on the side of a white plate. garnish mushrooms with a slice of
meyer lemon. place wagyu nigiri next to mushrooms and top beef with shabu/ponzu sauce. serve
immediately.

japanese tapas: trio of tartare: tuna, salmon, hamachi

there are three components to this dish.  I will give separate directions for each.

I. tuna tartare

ingredients:

sashimi grade tuna

scallions (white part only)

wakame salad

orange tobiko

sesame oil

rice crackers

fine sea salt

directions:

1.  mince up scallions and wakame salad.

2.  finely chop tuna

3.  mix tuna, scallions, wakame salad, orange tobiko, a light dash of sesame oil, and salt to taste. garnish with rice crackers

II. salmon tartare

ingredients:

sashimi grade salmon

Japanese cucumber

ponzu

orange tobiko

chives

directions:

1.  brunoise the Japanese cucumbers. 

2.  finely chop salmon

3.  mix salmon with the cucumbers and tobiko.  add a dash of ponzu to taste and garnish with snipped chives.

III. hamachi tartare

ingredients: 

sashimi grade hamachi

scallions (green part only)

orange tobiko

lemon ponzu

nori

fine sea salt

1.  slice scallions.

2.  finely chop hamachi

3.  mix hamachi with scallions and tobiko. add a dash of ponzu to taste and fine sea salt.  garnish with nori.

japanese tapas: ika noodles, caviar, uni, uzura

ingredients:

ika noodles - squid noodles, can be bought at japanese grocery stores
caviar - sevruga pictured above
orange tobiko
uni
sujiki
uzura - quail egg
kaiware
meyer lemon
ponzu
wasabi

directions:

1.  in a bowl, mix ika noodles, black tobiko, ponzu, wasabi, kaiware leaves, and meyer lemon juice together.

2.  plating: place a mound of the ika noodle on a white plate.  off to the side put a quail egg yolk in the egg
shell and meyer lemon wedge.  garnish the ika noodles with a bit of fresh uni, orange tobiko, and sujiki.
serve immediately.

japanese tapas: salmon belly, caviar, white truffle oil

ingredients:

sashimi grade salmon belly
caviar - sevruga pictured above
japanese cucumber
kaiware
chives
ponzu
white truffle oil

directions:

1.  slice japanese cucumber super thin.

2.  slice salmon belly into 1/2 cm thick slices.

3.  plating: place salmon belly on a white plate. top each piece with a slice of cucumber and top cucumber
with a nice dab of caviar. spoon ponzu around salmon pieces and drizzle with white truffle oil.  garnish
with chives and kaiware.  serve immediately.