February Seasonal Japanese Seafood ２月旬の魚

February Japanese Seasonal Seafood

As it is cold throughout most of Japan, February is a wonderful time for hot pots (nabe). Monkfish (ankou) is one of Shinji's favorite nabes. We always save the liver and serve it separately. It's very easy to steam - see a simple recipe here. Wakasagi or shirauo are both lovely when lightly battered and deep-fried. As for sashimi, we love kinmedai, hirame, kanburi and tairagai. If you get a fresh kawahagi for sashimi, save the liver, mash it in a mortar and pestle, and add it to some ponzu for a creamy dipping sauce. Shijimi miso soup is a wonderful way to start any day. And sazae are perfect for grilling in their shells. Best of all may be all the succulent crabs that are in season like tarabagani and zuwaigani.

If you click on the Japanese name of the seafood you should be directed to a link with a photo.

Ankou – 鮟鱇 monkfish (Lophiomus setigerus)

Aoyagi-  青柳  surf clam (Mactra chinensis)

Buri – 鰤 Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Fugu - 真河豚 blowfish or pufferfish (Takifugu porphyreus)

Hamaguri- 浜栗  common Orient clam (Meretrix lusoria)

Hirame -  鮃 olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Honmaguro – 本鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

* also called kuromaguro

Ishigarei – 石鰈 stone flounder  (Kareius bicoloratus)

Itoyori - 糸縒鯛  golden threadfin-bream (Nemipterus virgatus)

Kaki – 牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Kanburi – 寒鰤 winter Japanese amberjack (see buri) (Seriola quinqueradiata)

* The port of Himi in Toyama is famous for its kanburi.

Kasago - 笠子scorpionfish (Sebastiscus marmoratus)

Kawahagi - 皮剥thread-sail filefish  (Stephanolepis cirrhifer)

Kinki - 黄血魚thornhead (Sebastolobus macrochir)

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

Madai -  真鯛 seabream (Pagurus major)

Mutsu -  gnomefish (Scombrops boops)

Saba – 鯖  Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Sawara – 鰆  Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Sazae- 栄螺  turban shell (Turbo cornutus)

Shijimi – 大和蜆 corbicula clams (Corbicula japonica)

Shirauo - 白魚whitefish or ice goby (Salangichthys microdon)

Tairagai- 平貝  penshell (Atrina (Servatrina) pectinata)

Tara - 真鱈codfish (Gadus macrocephalus)

Tarabagani- 鱈場蟹 Alaskan king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

Umazurahagi- 馬面剥 filefish scraper (Thamnaconus modestus)

Wakasagi - 若細魚Japanese smelt  (Hypomesus nipponensis)

Yari ika - 槍烏賊 spear squid (Loligo (Heterololigo) bleekeri)

Zuwaigani - 頭矮蟹  snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio)

January Japanese Seasonal Fruits Vegetables

Following is a list of seasonal fruits and vegetables in Japan this month. Root vegetables in particular are plentiful this time of year. Daikon is one of my favorites as it is can be used in so many dishes. It can be julienned for a salad, simmered and dressed with a sweet miso dressing, in soups, or grated and used as a garnish. I also love the sticky, slippery texture of nagaimo. It can be grated and served over hot rice with a splash of soy sauce, or I like to cook it like an omelet and serve it with some nori. (LINK) Fruit like strawberries and apples can be found in sweets and pastries.

Broccoli –

Cabbage –

Cauliflower –

Celery –

Daikon –

Eringi – eringi mushroom

Gobo – burdock root

Hakusai – Napa cabbage

Hoursensou – spinach

Jagaimo – potatoes

Kabu – turnips

Komatsuna – Japanese green (sometimes called mustard spinach) in turnip family

Mekyabettsu – Brussel sprouts

Mizuna – Japanese green (sometimes called potherb mustard)

Nagaimo – Japanese mountain yam

Nanohana – rapeseed flowers

Negi – Japanese leeks

Ninjin – carrots

Nira – garlic chives

Parsley –

Renkon – lotus root

Saradana – salad greens

Satsumaimo – Satsuma sweet potato

Seri – Japanese celery

Shungiku – chrysanthemum leaves

Yamatoimo – Yamato potato, similar to nagaimo

Yurine – lily root

Daidai – a type of orange

Ichigo – strawberry

Kinkan – kumquat

Lemon –

Navel orange –

Ponkan – a type of tangerine

Ringo – apple

Yuzu – 

Chilled Japanese Green Tea

A cold cup of green tea nourishes me throughout the year. Years ago I used to brew Japanese green tea and then chill it in the fridge, a long process. But that has become easy with tea packs that can be brewed with room temperature water.

Some of these packages are loose teas, but the ones that are a breeze to use are the tea packs. Simply put in a pitcher of water and let steep in the fridge overnight. If you are unable to find the pre-packaged tea packs, then it is possible to pack up your own teas and steep the teas overnight. I have had good luck with most teas. The only tea I haven't had good success with steeping in the fridge is hojicha.

Here are the tea packs.

What you want to look for when purchasing the tea is "mizudashi" 水出し, the characters on the top right hand side below the name Kunitaro.

And, as these are Japanese-style teas, we don't add any sugar or sweet syrup to the teas. If you are used to drinking Southern-style sweet teas it may take some time adjusting your palate to these. But I find them refreshing and satisfying.

Kabutoyaki - Grilled Fish Heads

One of the easiest fish dishes to grill up is kabutoyaki or fish heads. Simply season with salt and grill. The photo above is of tai or sea bream, the flesh which is delicate and light on the palate.

For a meatier fish, try hamachi or buri (Japanese amberjack). This fatty fish will drip a lot of fat while cooking so just be careful for the flame and smoke.

In Japanese supermarkets fish heads are often for sale. I have seen it at Japanese or Chinese markets in the USA. Or, if you have a good fishmonger, ask him to save some heads for you.

And, be sure to dig around with your chopsticks and get every little nugget and piece that you can find when eating this. I usually give up pretty quickly and I am always amazed at how much more Shinji can dig up once I am done with a piece.

Garnish it with some lemon or ponzu. And, I love having this with a glass of shochu on the rocks.

Satsumaimo Gohan 薩摩芋ご飯

Satsumaimo (sweet potatoes) are in season at the moment. Usually we make a sweet dish called daigaku imo from the starchy sweet potatoes. Looking to spice up our donabe of white rice with something new I cooked the sweet potato with the rice. A nice change-up when topped with some toasted sesame seeds.

Using this recipe for cooking rice (from Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari), simply add some salt to the rice pot. For the sweet potatoes, wash carefully (but leave the skins on), cut into slices, about 1/2 inch, and let rest in a pot of water to rid it of its excess starch.

Add the sweet potatoes to the rice pot and cook as you would cook white rice normally. No need to add extra water. Just use the amount based on Nonaga-san's recipe in the link above.

When serving top with toasted sesame seeds.

Lekue Steam Roaster スチームロースター

Note - the first three photos come from Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga's website. Click here to see more recipes that he created for the Lekue.

I received one of these Lekue steam roasters. It can be used in the microwave or in a regular oven. It's ideal for assembling and cooking in one dish, making cleaning easy. Steam can escape from the side vents but it will cook and steam at the same time.

Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari's recipes for seafood and some side dishes that are seafood friendly was included in the steam roaster.

Here is a professional photo of okra, nori, and mushrooms. Below is my dish that I made at home.

It took less than a minute to assemble, a few minutes in the microwave, and then it was done. We loved this as a side dish and will make it again.

This was another one of chef Nonaga's side dishes in his cookbook. Simply slice up some cabbage and a chikuwa (toasted fish cake), add mayonnaise and miso then cook in the microwave.

Also a big hit and a dish we will make again as these are items that are usually in our fridge. Also, it gives me inspiration to make other similar dishes.

Lekue is originally a Spanish product and is available in major countries. It is easy to clean as well. My only advice is to be careful when removing it from the microwave. Once I was caught off guard by the steam coming out of the side vents and it was very hot.

Nanagusa Gayu 七草がゆ

January 7th each year is the day to eat Nanagusa Gayu. An okayu (rice porridge) dish with seven different herbs. Nanagusa means seven grasses. Supermarkets sell packs of the herbs so it is quite easy to make at home.

The seven herbs consist of:

1. Seri (water dropwort)
2. Nazuna
3. Gogyou
4. Hakobera
5. Hotokenoza
6. Suzuna (turnip)
7. Suzushiro (radish)

Of the seven listed above, I only use seri in my daily cooking. The other herbs are not that common, although radish and turnips are often used in cooking. Rich in vitamins, eating nanagusa gayu, has a rich history in Japan and is supposed to contribute to one's health.

Today on the daily NHK cooking program, chef Kazunari Yanagihara, demonstrated how to cook this simple recipe.

250 grams of cooked rice
4 1/2 cups of water
4-6 pieces of mochi
1/2 tsp. salt

In a pot add the water and cooked rice. Cook over medium heat. Cut the mochi into halves and add to the pot. While the mochi and rice are cooking cut up the herbs into small pieces. Save the turnip and radish for another dish.

When the mochi is soft add the salt (add more to taste). Add the herbs and stir briefly. Remove from heat and serve. As the herbs are quite delicate and cut into small pieces it does not need to cook too long.


* Chef Yanagihara suggests still making this dish if you can only get two or three of the herbs. If you are not in Japan, look for young turnips or radishes with their leaves and use the leaves.

Yamaimo Omelet 山芋オムレッツ

One of my new year's resolutions is to eat more vegetables. The Japanese have a wide variety of vegetables to choose from so getting a variety throughout the year is very easy. The inspiration for this recipe comes from my friend's book, Masu Masu Sai Sai Gohan, by Yumiko Kanou (currently in Japanese only). Chef and owner of Nakaiseki Sen in Shimomeguro. This is one of my favorite restaurants not only for vegetarians but for those who love vegetables. If you go, tell Kanou Sensei that Yukari sent you.

Yamaimo, also called nagaimo, is a versatile root vegetable in season at the moment. It can be eaten raw, simply grated and placed over a hot bowl of rice, or julienned and used as part of a salad. It is also lovely when pickled with some yuzu.

In this simple preparation, peel and then grate the yamaimo. It is very slippery to work with so be careful. And, be sure to rinse your hands thoroughly when you are done as some people get an itchy reaction.

And then simply saute in a pan in some oil, flip over and continue to saute until both sides are crispy. When I serve it I like to sprinkle a bit of soy sauce over the omelet and serve it with some nori (Korean in this photo but any nori will do). If you like the crispy texture, then make a thin omelet. And, no need to worry if it doesn't cook all the way through as yamaimo can be eaten raw.

I serve this as a side dish to a meal or sometimes will have it as an afternoon snack. I find it a healthier alternative to mochi which it reminds me of.

Cooking with Taberu Rayu and Ika 食べるラー油といかのレシピ

Today is my birthday. And while Shinji and I talked about going out for dinner this evening, our refrigerator is full of seafood leftover from New Year's Day. So Shinji grilled up some fish no longer fresh enough to be eaten as sashimi. And, the big hit of the night was Shinji's impromptu dish of ika (squid) cut into thin slices, blanched briefly in hot water, and the tossed in taberu rayu and yuzu zest. So yummy and perfect with the Shiranami Kuro Koji shochu (sweet potato shochu made with black koji).

I contributed with a very simple uni pasta, which we always make on the rare occasion that uni is in the fridge and we've already eaten it as sashimi. The uni pasta recipe is here.

Thanks for following this blog. Best wishes for 2012. One of my resolutions for this year is to be more active in posting.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu,
Yukari

January Seasonal Japanese Seafood 一月旬の魚

January Japanese Seasonal Seafood

Happy New Year. 2011 was a very challenging year for Japan with the triple disaster in Tohoku. The country is ready for the new year to begin, for spring to bud with flowers and for a new start.

The seafood in winter is rich with fat as the fish protects itself from the cold waters. Some sashimi eaten this time of year will be a bit oily as a result. As always, we love to have most seafood as sashimi when possible, in particular tairagai and yari ika. Shinji in particular has a soft spot for kanburi or winter buri from Himi port in Toyama. He loves it as sashimi but it is also good as teriyaki or in the classic dish buri daikon – simmered with daikon in a slightly sweet soy broth. Kinmedai is also lovely when simmered in a soy broth as nitsuke.

Aozakana, literally blue fish, are the fishy fish in the mackerel family like sabaand sawara. Sawara can be marinated in a sweet Saikyo miso and grilled, the miso helps to cover some of the intense fish flavor. Saba is nice simmered in miso in a traditional dish preparation called misoni. Shime saba is the term for sabathat has been marinated in a sweet rice vinegar, essentially pickling it. Finally, each January we usually have ankou nabe, a hot pot of monkfish. We save the liver to prepare it as ankimo, often called “foie gras of the sea”. It is simple to prepare, see the recipe here.

If you click on the name of the seafood in Japanese (written in English) you should be able to see a photo of it.

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)

Benizuwaigani - 紅楚蟹  red snow crab   (Chionoecetes japonicus)

Buri– 鰤Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Chidai-   血鯛  crimson sea bream (Evynnis japonica)

Hamaguri - 浜栗  common Orient clam  (Meretrix lusoria)

Hira suzuki - 平鱸   blackfin Japanese seabass (Lateolabrax latus)

Honmaguro – 本鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Hoshigarei -  星鰈  spotted halibut (Verasper variegatus)

Kaki – 牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Kanburi – 寒鰤 winter Japanese amberjack (see buri) (Seriola quinqueradiata)

* The port of Himi in Toyama is famous for its kanburi.　

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

Matsuba gani - 松葉蟹 spiny crab (Hypothalassia armata)

Matsukawa -  松皮鰈  barfin flounder (Verasper moseri)

Nishin- 鰊  Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

Oma honmaguro – 大間鮪 bluefin tuna from Oma in Aomori (see honmaguro)

Saba– 鯖  Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Sawara – 鰆  Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Shijimi – 大和蜆 corbicula clams (Corbicula japonica)

Soudagatsuo- 騒多鰹 frigate mackerel  (Auxis thazard)

Surumeika -   鯣烏賊  Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus)

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

Yanagi dako - 柳蛸 chestnut octopus (Octopus conispadiceus)

Yari ika - 槍烏賊 spear squid (Loligo (Heterololigo) bleekeri)