October 8, 2017

Freshly Caught Bluefish Sashimi: Waste Not, Want Not

Freshly Caught Bluefish Sashimi: Waste Not, Want Not
I had been itching to try the bluefish snappers that we’ve been catching raw, sashimi style. The internet fishing community is a bit unsure about it raw, mainly because few people try it that way. Is it worth it? Heck yeah.
The fish, while young “snapper” sized, is closer to a whitefish when done this way, less oily than mackeral. After I’ve dispatched the fish, gutted, and scaled it, I slice it right along the body, thin pieces, skin on. Then I chop up some pickled ginger (beni shoga), dice up some shiso, and immerse it in a sauce mix that’s equal parts lemon and soy sauce. Wasabi is optional but tastes delicious with it.
You’ll need a really sharp knife–thankfully my sister The Chef gave me some sharpened knives the other day when she came by to crab, and taught me how to use a whetstone. Without it, I doubt the meat would have come off as well.
The contrast between the fried and the raw tingles the taste buds!

I also don’t like to waste the rest of the fish, so I do a tempura batter and fry it until the bones are crispy and you can eat it whole, all the bones excluding the skull and the midbone. It’s a great way to get some extra calcium and quite delicious as the leftover meat is tenderly flavorful. I also fry the organs, the slight bitterness of the liver chases away the damp of the day.

It would be irresponsible of me not to mention possibilities of parasites–they are possible, but unlikely we will contract them due to the fact that we are unsuitable hosts for most saltwater fish parasites. However, sashimi and sushi at the restaurant have usually been flash frozen which kills them. I have no issue doing this, and many fishermen make sashimi on their boats out of fluke, sea bass, red snapper, etc. when they catch them out at sea. Consume anything raw at your own risk.

Each fish produces just enough for a nice appetizer.

The fish should be no more than a few hours old, kept in seawater to maintain freshness.

Bluefish Snapper Sashimi

  • Bluefish snapper thinly sliced
  • Shiso, chopped
  • Pickled ginger, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • Wasabi, to taste

1. Scale and gut the bluefish, reserving the organ meat on the side. Slice the fish on a diagonal to produce thin slices and place in a shallow dish. Save the body for tempura.
2. Chop shiso and ginger and garnish the sashimi.
3. Mix soy sauce and lemon juice and pour into the shallow dish.

Bluefish Snapper Bone and Shiso Tempura

  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 ice cubes
  • Bluefish snapper, meat stripped for sashimi
  • Bluefish snapper organs, if using
  • 4 – 5 whole shiso leaves
  • Vegetable oil

Dipping Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup dashi stock
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sake or mirin

1. Heat vegetable oil on medium high heat.
2. Mix flour, water, and cornstarch until pancake batter consistency. Mix in ice cubes so the batter is very cold (makes it extra crispy.)
3. Coat bluefish snapper, organs, and shiso leaves in the batter and deep fry until golden and crispy. Fry body for longer than the organs and shiso, careful not to burn, so that most of the bones are crispy too.

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Filed Under: fish, recipes, shiso