“Just salt and pepper and throw it into the oven.” she told me, without even batting an eyelash at the fact that I was panicking because WHAT IF I DESTROY IT?!? I’d never forgive myself.

Thankfully, it was frozen so I had some time to think about how I was going to prepare it. I went home and pulled up Google and think about it I did. For an entire week. Every time I opened up my chest freezer, it was staring at me, begging me to do something with it so it wouldn’t waste away in the frozen depths.

In the end, I decided to prepare it classically–roasted until crispy in the oven. But what would I pair with it in order to cut through the grease as I’m eating it? Many people do a citrus soy dip, but I wanted a little more variety.

I ended up making three different types of ways to eat it. First, a lime soy dip (because I had a lime I needed to use and soy sauce is always in my fridge.) Second, miso paste in the style of negi miso, which is scallions or onion chives mixed with miso paste, along with shiso miso and garlic miso. The third was a simple squeeze of lemon with salt, pepper, and shichimi powder. The onion chives and shiso came from my garden, which made it all the more enjoyable (you can click on the links which will take you to the page about growing them.)

And it was delicious. My mouth was watering once the scent of the roasting hamachi kama wafted from my oven but nothing could have prepared me for the tender, juicy, and succulent flesh that paired beautifully with each of the ways I ate it. I hopped from saucer to saucer, bite to bite, and downed an entire bowl of rice with just a single collar. The rest will be dinner and a late night snack, especially today as Tropical Storm Jose has drenched us in rain.

Ingredients:

• Hamachi Kama (Yellowtail collar) defrosted
• Cornstarch or sweet potato starch (optional)

For the Lime Soy Dip:

• Half a lime, zested, juiced, and sliced
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

For the Miso Dips:

• 3 teaspoon Miso, red or white,
• Finely diced shiso, chives/scallions, garlic

For the Salt Dip:

• Equal parts salt, pepper, and Togarashi powder
• Lemon wedges

Hamachi Kama 3 Ways:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Dab collars with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Dust with a thin layer of cornstarch and place on an oiled oven safe pan. Place into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until outside is golden. The oil content of the hamachi will lightly “fry” the cornstarch and make it extra crispy. It also seems to seal in the juices. You can do without but I enjoyed it this way.
2. While the hamachi is in the oven, combine the ingredients for each of the three dips. For the miso, mix each teaspoon with an herb (garlic, shiso, and onion chive) and set aside. Mix soy sauce, lime juice, slices, and zest in a saucer. Combine salt, pepper, and shichimi powder in another saucer, and place sliced lemon wedges on a plate.
3. Check to see if the collars are done. Remove from oven and allow to drain on paper towels. Arrange on plate with lemon wedges and enjoy by carefully removing the meat and trying it with any of the dips.