Sashimi of Black Bass, Sea Beans, Shiso, Melon & Togarashi Gel, Honeyloupe, Oro Amarillo Melon, Sliced Red Horn Pepper, Sesame Oil & Soy
This dish came about because of this amazing Japanese sweet corn that my friend and farmer Tom grew. You may recognize this corn from your local "Chinese" restaurant. But just like your local Chinese spot, the baby corn found there is probably bullshit. Mass produced, possibly GMO, and coming to you from out of a can or a freezer. And tasting just like said can or freezer with no texture. The stuff I used here is straight out of the field and the flavor and texture shows. Soft enough to eat raw while still maintaining a nice snap and a flavor reminiscent of artichoke. So after deciding that this corn should be eaten raw I paired it up with some awesome raw black bass and other Japanese flavors.
I always buy fresh fish whole whenever possible. Aside from saving some money on it, it's easier to tell how fresh it is. A fresh whole fish will have a nice bright color, smell like the ocean and have clear eyes. And fileting a fish is pretty easy. You just need to slice close to the bones with a really sharp knife.
I filleted the bass and carefully removed the skin before slicing it with my very sharp (and dangerous) Japanese knife, made for this very purpose. This all I did to the bass itself, no seasoning or anything directly on it. The rest of the plate would take care of this.
I made a gel by pureeing and straining the Oro Amarillo melon. I combined the melon juice with some sugar, rice wine vinegar and agar-agar in a sauce pot. I heated it to a boil and stirred to dissolve the solids. After pouring the liquid into a shallow pan and allowing it to cool and set I pureed it and ran it through a fine mesh tamis to create a loose gel. I mixed in some togarshi (Japanese chili flakes) to balance out the sweetness and give it a little kick. I also scooped out some balls of the Oro and honeyloupe melons and compressed them in a vacuum bag with salt and sugar.
I sliced the raw Japanese sweet corn into horizontal pieces as well as little wheels. I also sliced the horn peppers which are more like a bell pepper than a chili, not hot but sweet. I placed some of the sea beans on the plate which I used for their crunchy texture as well as saltiness. I spooned some sesame oil into the plate and dripped soy sauce into it. I finished of the dish with some shiso leaves, used often in Japanese cuisine, and imparting a fresh almost cumin-like flavor.
Product:
Black Bass - Ippolito's
Sea Beans - Ippolito's
Japanese Sweet Corn - Culton Organics
Organic Honeyloupe & Oro Amarillo Melons - Culton Organics
Organic Red Horn Pepper - Culton Organics
Organic Shiso - Queen's Farm
I always buy fresh fish whole whenever possible. Aside from saving some money on it, it's easier to tell how fresh it is. A fresh whole fish will have a nice bright color, smell like the ocean and have clear eyes. And fileting a fish is pretty easy. You just need to slice close to the bones with a really sharp knife.
I filleted the bass and carefully removed the skin before slicing it with my very sharp (and dangerous) Japanese knife, made for this very purpose. This all I did to the bass itself, no seasoning or anything directly on it. The rest of the plate would take care of this.
I made a gel by pureeing and straining the Oro Amarillo melon. I combined the melon juice with some sugar, rice wine vinegar and agar-agar in a sauce pot. I heated it to a boil and stirred to dissolve the solids. After pouring the liquid into a shallow pan and allowing it to cool and set I pureed it and ran it through a fine mesh tamis to create a loose gel. I mixed in some togarshi (Japanese chili flakes) to balance out the sweetness and give it a little kick. I also scooped out some balls of the Oro and honeyloupe melons and compressed them in a vacuum bag with salt and sugar.
I sliced the raw Japanese sweet corn into horizontal pieces as well as little wheels. I also sliced the horn peppers which are more like a bell pepper than a chili, not hot but sweet. I placed some of the sea beans on the plate which I used for their crunchy texture as well as saltiness. I spooned some sesame oil into the plate and dripped soy sauce into it. I finished of the dish with some shiso leaves, used often in Japanese cuisine, and imparting a fresh almost cumin-like flavor.
Product:
Black Bass - Ippolito's
Sea Beans - Ippolito's
Japanese Sweet Corn - Culton Organics
Organic Honeyloupe & Oro Amarillo Melons - Culton Organics
Organic Red Horn Pepper - Culton Organics
Organic Shiso - Queen's Farm