Inspiration from Jean-Georges

After reading this article about the soy-butter sauce skate at Mercer Kitchen this has become our back-up sauce for fish and we love it. If Jean-Georges' wife loves it it must be worth making at home once and we are now addicted.

Season a filet with a little bit of salt and pepper. Not too much salt as the soy sauce is salty. Saute the fish in a bit of oil until almost cooked through. Add some butter to the pan and cook until the butter turns a light brown. Turn off the heat and add some soy sauce to the pan.

Plate the fish and drizzle with the soy-butter sauce.

So far we have tried this with a variety of fish and it has always been a hit. This photo is of mekajiki (swordfish).

Japanese Potato Salad

I was a fan from my first bite of Japanese potato salad. The texture was nothing at all like American potato salad. First of all in Japanese potato salad the potatoes are mashed for a smooth texture. On top of that there is crunchy cucumbers, soft carrots, and ham. The dressing includes some rice wine vinegar that rounds out the rich mayonnaise.

My only tip is to make as big a batch as you can as it always goes quickly.

5 potatoes
1 carrot
2 Japanese cucumbers
6 slices ham
mayonnaise (preferably Japanese)
rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into medium pieces. Steam until tender. Cool. Mash.

Thinly slice carrots and steam until tender. Cool.

Thinly slice cucumbers. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and mix with your hands. Allow to sit for about five to ten minutes. Squeeze of excess water.

Cut the ham into thin strips.

In a large bowl combine the mashed potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and ham. Slowly incorporate mayonnaise. Add rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Asari Pasta

We had big lovely asari (Japanese littleneck clams) and steamed them in white wine and served it over pasta with extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Very simple dish, quick and easy, and best of all, delicious!

July Seasonal Seafood

Following is a list of seasonal seafood for July. Look for these in the market or if you are going out for sushi. Some of our personal favorites include ayu (salted and grilled), shitabirame (meuniere), shijimi (miso soup), benisake (salted and grilled), and for sashimi - surumeika, kinmedai, takabe, and isaki.


Ayu あゆ　鮎 sweetfish (Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis)
Benisake べにさけ　紅鮭 sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
Inada いなだ　 鰍 young amberjack (or yellowtail) (Seriola quinqueradiata) wakashi, inada, warasa, buri
Isaki いさき　 伊佐幾 chicken grunt (Parapristipoma trilineatum)
Katsuo かつお　鰹 skipjack tuna (or bonito) (Katsuwonus pelamis)
Kinmedai きんめだい　金目鯛 splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)
Maaji まあじ　真鯵 Japanese jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus)
Mejimaguro めじまぐろ young tuna (genusThunnus) if it is a young bluefin tuna it will be called honmeji, if it is a young yellowfin tuna it will be called kinmeji.
Shijimi しじみ　蜆 Corbicula clams (or water clams) (Corbicula japonica)
Shiro ika しろいか　白烏賊 or Kensaki ika swordtip squid (Loligo edulis)
Shitabirame したびらめ　舌平目 (or ushinoshita) four line tongue sole(Arelia bilineat)
Surumeika するめいか　鯣烏賊 Japanese common squid (or flying squid) (Todarodes pacificus)
Suzuki すずき　鱸 Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus)
Takabe たかべ yellow-striped butterfish (Labracoglossa argentiventris)

Seasonal Seafood - Kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino)

One of my favorite summer fish for sashimi is kinmedai. In Japanese the characters are 金目鯛. Literally a golden-eye tai or sea bream. Fishmongers refer to it simply as kinme. The name comes from its big and golden eyes. While it is not a sea bream, it is often used as an alternative to sea bream. The English name for it is splendid alfonsino.

It is harvested in Shizuoka, Kanagawa, and Kochi prefectures.

Kinmedai is a white fleshed fish rich in protein, minerals, and fat. It is a source of vitamins B1, B2 and iron.

When purchasing kinmedai look for bright, golden eyes. The red scales should be a vibrant red color. If buying from a fishmonger be sure to keep the head, it can be used to make a delicious broth.

Kinmedai is eaten as sashimi, shabu shabu, simmered, fried, meuniere, or in a bouillabaise,

The flesh can be slightly pink when raw. It is delicious as sashimi or sushi. Not fishy at all - simply succulent.