お彼岸ハゼの焼き干し

お彼岸から江戸前ハゼ釣りがはじまる。浅草にいる、色々お世話になっている友だちはお彼岸ハゼの干物がほしいというのでハゼ釣って焼き干しを作りました。今年は沖のハゼの成長がいいみたいでもう天ぷらサイズがでています、それを干物にしたら最高です。そのままかじってもいいし、塩コショウして軽くあぶって酒のつまみにするか、あと定番は出汁をとってお吸い物作って色々楽しめます。特に下町の年配の方はお彼岸ハゼの干物をもらうと喜ぶ。

真鯛の煮凍り

富山湾の鰺釣りの外道で小さな鯛を５枚釣りました。２枚はリリースしたけど、電動で上げて３枚は内臓が出てしまったのでリリースしても死ぬので持ち帰りました。あんまりにも小さいので料理はどうしようもない、と思ったら丸で茹でて僕の大好物「煮凍り」を作りました。おいしくいただきました。

Whilst chumming for Japanese jack mackerel in Toyama, as bycatch I took five red sea bream: the so-called ‘King of the Sea’ here in Japan. However they were but babies, no more than 15cm or so in length, and release size. Sadly, three of them suffered from decompression of their swimbladders, resulting in certain internal organs being forced out of their body. Since these fish would without question die, I kept them to consume at home. Red sea bream is a delicious fish, regardless of the size, but since these were too small to eat as sashimi or grilled, I instead slow-boiled them whole and made a dish known in Japanese as nikogori. The bones are rendered from the fish to make a rich broth into which the flesh of the fish is added, along with a little sake and soy sauce, then the whole mixture poured in a shallow glass dish and refrigerated. As the mixture cools, the collagen from the fish bones and skin congeals to form a solid jelly, that is rich and luxurious in texture. Cheaper and more ordinary restaurants make a version with stingray or conger eel that is artificially hardened with animal gelatin: made from sea bream, this is a highly prized dish that commands a high price in restaurants. It is a most pleasant foil to cool sake or wine.

Fishing Toyama Part 2

With my Toyama catch, I actually cheated and had a local restaurant (which I will review here some day) prepare the grouper and stonefish for me as sashimi; I did bribe the gaffer with a bottle of good Toyama sake and some firefly squid. However, I was left with an ice chest full of fresh Toyama Bay jack mackerel to dispose of. After dropping some off with my neighbours and local restaurants, I was left with about 25 to deal with. This particular type of mackerel is adequate eaten raw as sashimi or sushi, but in my opinion, the best way (and that recommended by Captain Andoh) to eat them is sun-dried then grilled.

Fishing Toyama 2007

For the third consecutive year I made the trip to Imizu, Toyama Prefecture, a small fishing town located on the southernmost shore of Toyama Bay. The Bay is a deep, wide feature on the Sea of Japan coast, formed by the Noto Peninsula to the west and the Tateyama mountain range to its east. The warm Tsushima Current flowing from the west brings with it a host of rich marine life such as Toyama’s famous firefly squid, and the bay is a winter feeding ground for migrating yellowtail. There is also a host of endemic species such as shiroebi, a type of small prawn that is a local delicacy. The unusual depth of the bay – falling to well over 100 fathoms almost immediately outside Toyama harbour – also makes it a host to a variety of mid- to deepwater fish that are common targets for both commercial fishermen and sport anglers. This year I went in pursuit of a certain variety of stonefish known locally as onikasago, which, despite its appearance and rather vicious poisonous spines, is quite delicious.

Back from Toyama

Back in Tokyo now after three days and two nights spent in rural Toyama, on the Sea of Japan coast. The catch this time round was not so good as last year, but as ever the breathtaking scenery, fresh seafood, locally brewed sake and the warmth and hospitality of the locals more than made up for lean pickings at sea. I will write about the trip in more detail soon.

Japanese Conch!

To be eaten as sashimi.

笠子の煮付け

釣ったのは、私じゃなかったけど．．．笠子はうまい。自分の煮付けは醤油控えめ甘みたっぷり。東北風かな？あんまりしょっぱいのは好きじゃない。

東京でんでん虫ありがとうね。

Toyama Fishing Trip

After postponing my departure due to the untimely arrival of Typhoon Fitow, I am booked in for my now annual fishing trip to the beautiful Toyama Bay, on the Sea of Japan. I greatly look forward to not just the fishing, but also sampling the local specialties, including delicious ‘Tateyama’ sake and the autumn catch of so-called shiroebi, a type of prawn found only in the Bay. The photo is of a tilefish snagged during my trip last year.

“Kanro-ni”

As some of you may recall from the article I wrote for Fishing Fury in 2005, autumn in Tokyo means gobies, and the prospect of goby cooking.

Last week I netted some 3kgs of gobies at the Sumida river estuary. These are smaller than the ones caught at sea, but equally delicious. They are too small to be filleted, but can be fried whole like whitebait. Another tasty, and traditional, method is to prepare the dish known in Japanese as kanro-ni, which literally translates as ’sweet-dew-boil’ but in reality the fish come out candied, almost like toffee apple, but with a soy sauce flavour as well. Kanro-ni is traditionally a celebratory dish served at New Year’s, as fish served whole with their heads still on bring good luck to diners. It is also a traditional method of preserving fish, from an age when no refrigeration existed. Kanro-ni stored properly can last six months without chilling.

ハゼの甘露煮ができました

先週大川で獲ったハゼを甘露煮にしました。

普通はお彼岸入りのあたりで沖で釣った中～大型のハゼを使いますが、僕は個人的にデキハゼを甘露煮にするのが好き。