no. 6 | let's make: maguro sashimi with yuzu ponzu, chives, and jalapeños
For anyone feeling bold enough to seek out some high-quality sashimi-grade fish, this one is for you.
In San Francisco, we are blessed with access to some of the best seafood in the US. From high-density populations of Dungeness crab in Half Moon Bay, to incredibly fresh oysters harvested right out of Marshall, the Bay Area does not mess around when it comes to quality. I’ve never had any qualms with enjoying raw fish, but there is something rather daunting about sourcing your own sashimi-grade cuts or raw goods and preparing them at home.
I recently went to Reddit to get some recommendations on where to buy the freshest sashimi-grade tuna and salmon in San Francisco, as my cravings for sushi were at an all time high (the eating-out-budget, on the other hand, at an all-time low). I came across a thread with exactly this question, the top reply recommending Nijiya Market in Japantown, San Francisco (which I also discovered, is known to many on the internet as the “Japanese grocery store made popular by Emily Mariko”). I trotted my way down Fillmore Street one afternoon to check it out for myself, and let me tell you, this place was heaven. From freshly-prepared nigiri and ready-to-eat meals, to an insane variety of pantry goods and sashimi-grade fish, there was very little you couldn’t find here. I spent a good twenty minutes skimming the aisles and making my rounds back and forth, and left with a collection of goodies, one of which being my maguro (tuna) sashimi. Here, my leap of faith began. And let me tell you, it was well worth it.
For my friends who don’t live in San Francisco, luckily there are a few work-arounds, the first being that Nijiya Market is a chain grocer serving other parts of NorCal, SoCal, and Hawaii. If you don’t live in these places, I implore you to hit up the seafood section at your local high-end grocery store, find a local fishmonger (or ask for recommendations if they don’t sell any), find a farmer’s market, or do some digging online. Once you have access to fresh sashimi fish, it’s a blessing and a curse that I’d venture to say, you’ll never regret.
Ingredients:
8oz sashimi-grade tuna (or salmon)
1 tbsp soy sauce (my favorite brand)
1 tbsp yuzu ponzu sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced
Chives, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, thinly sliced
Instructions:
Rinse your sashimi-grade fish under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Begin slicing your sashimi into thin strips, against the grain, which allows for a more tender slice.
I think of it as cutting a steak into strips–a similar thinness (but not *too* thin as to leave little sustenance), and against the grain for tenderness.
Once your sashimi is sliced, lay the pieces flat on a plate in a circular pattern.
To prepare your sauce, combine the soy sauce, yuzu ponzu sauce, and lemon. Carefully spoon the sauce over your sashimi.
To garnish and add flavor, thinly slice your jalapeño into circles, delicately adding them onto your sashimi pieces. Chop your chives, and sprinkle on top. Enjoy!
Two things: first, add as many jalapeño slices as you want. If you want spice in every bite, add them to each piece of sashimi. Second, is that you should enjoy immediately, not only because it’s best enjoyed while the fish is still cold, but because the acid in the sauce will “cook” the fish, or denature it (similarly to ceviche). This doesn’t make it bad to eat at all, it just messes with the integrity of the texture after sitting for too long.