Katsuo Sashimi

Katsuo, called bonito, or as my fishmonger husband says, skipjack tuna, is a meaty fish. It's in the tuna family and is a good fish to try as sashimi if you are looking to go beyond tuna and salmon.

At the market it can be sold raw, as this is, or as tataki where it is seared or cooked over a straw fire until just the edges change color.

We put this over chopped iceberg lettuce and wakamé. It is garnished with garlic sliced thin on the Benriner, grated ginger, and minced shiso. We dress it with soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar.

Yellowtail Sashimi

Young yellowtail, warasa, is just coming into the market. As the waters cool down the fish becomes fattier. Over time it becomes bigger and the name changes, eventually growing into a buri. The fattier fish we serve simply as sashimi. It's also lovely when made into teriyaki.

Here it is simply sliced thin and put over chopped iceberg lettuce and wakamé. For this we like a simple dressing of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and olive oil with some salt.

Moroheiya

Moroheiya is a leafy green that becomes very slippery when it is cooked. We have it growing fresh on the rooftop garden and use it often for soup. In the version above the soup is poured over boiled gyōza.

To make the soup pull off the leaves and rinse in water. In a pot over the stove cook the leaves in a chicken stock for about two minutes or until tender. Then mix in a blender and serve immediately.

September Seasonal Japanese Seafood

Kamasu barracuda

Kamasu and sanma are two fish in season now that we love to simply season with salt and grill.

Katsuo sashimi

Katsuo we love as sashimi, or if we find it in the market seared on the outside (tataki) we'll cut it into thick slices and garnish with garlic and ginger and serve with the sweet kanrō soy sauce from Kyushu.

Following are other seafood in season in September in Japan.

Amadai 赤甘鯛 tilefish (Branchiostegus japonicas)

Ayu 鮎 sweet fish (Plecoglossus altivelis)

Bora 鰡 flathead mullet or Gray mullet (Mugil cephalus)　　　　

Chidai 血鯛 crimson sea bream (Evynnis japonica)

Hon kamasu 本カマス barracuda (Sphyraena pinguis)

Ibodai疣鯛 Japanese butterfish (Psenopsis anomala)

Isaki 伊佐木threeline grunt (Parapristipoma trilineatum)

Itoyori イトヨリGolden threadfin bream (Nemipterus virgatus)

Katsuo  鰹   skipjack tuna or oceanic bonito (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Kohada 小鰭   gizzard shad (Konosirus pumctatus)

Kurumaebi 車海老   Japanese tiger prawn (Marsupenaeus japonicas)

Maaji 真鯵 horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicas)　　　　　　　　

Masaba真鯖   pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Sanma 秋刀魚 Pacific saury (Cololabis saira)

Shirosake 白鮭   chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Sujiko筋子 salmon roe still in the sac　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Surume ika スルメイカJapanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus)

Takabe タカベ　yellow-striped butterfish (Labracoglossa argentiventris)

Warasaワラサ yellowtail  (Seriola quinqueradiata)　　　　　　　　

Watarigani 渡蟹 swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus)

Other fish you may see in the market

Ainame 鮎魚女fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii）　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Akagai 赤貝 ark shell (Scapharca broughtonii)

Asari 浅利 Japanese littleneck clams (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Hotate 帆立貝 scallops (Patinopecten yessoensis)

Hoya ホヤ sea squirt (Halocynthia roretzi)

Kinki 黄血魚 thornyhead (Sebastolobus macrochir)

Kinmedai or kinme 金目鯛 splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)

Kihada maguro 黄肌鮪 yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

Makarei 真鰈 Japanese common flounder (Pleuronectes yokohamae)

Madai 真鯛 seabream (Pagurus major)

Mirugai 海松食 geoduck (Tresus keenae)

Mebaru 目張 rockfish (Sebastes inermis)

Sawara 鰆 Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Sazae 栄螺 turban shell (Turbo cornutus)

Tairagai 平貝 penshell (Atrina (Servatrina) pectinata)

Tachiuo 太刀魚 belt fish or largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus)

Tsubugai   螺貝   whelk (Buccinum undatum)

Tobiuo 飛魚 flying fish (Cypselurus agoo agoo)