Chef Roy Yamaguchi Celebrates the Season with a Delicacy of the Seas an–“Oceany” Flavor.
Roy’s Seared Ahi with Lilikoi-Shrimp Salsa
Ripe passion fruit, halved 4 oz. Extra large shrimp (about 4) peeled, deveined,
and diced
½ tbsp. Olive Oil
¼ cup Minced Maui or other sweet white onion
1 Large
Roma tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
2 tbsp. Finely diced scallion (including
green parts)
1 tbsp. Minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce Salt and ground
black pepper |
To prepare: Scoop the seeds and pulp from the passion fruit with a spoon and press
it through a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve the juice (about 1 tablespoon) and discard
the seeds and pulp. Put the shrimp in a small bowl and toss with the olive oil to
coat. Set a dry stainless-steel sauté pan over high heat and, when hot, add the
shrimp. Sear, turning often until evenly pink, about one minute. Transfer to a non-reactive
bowl and add the reserved passion fruit juice, onion, tomato, scallion, cilantro,
Tabasco sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.
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Toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate. Put the ahi on a plate, coat with peanut
oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set a dry cast-iron skillet over
high heat for 2-3 minutes and, when hot, sear the ahi for about 30 seconds on each
side for rare, or about 1-1/2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer the
ahi to serving plates and spoon salsa over the tuna, letting the juices from the
salsa run onto the plates.
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James Beard
, (legendary chef and food writer) once said this about caviar: “This seemingly simple article of diet has taken its place in the world along with pearls, sables, old silver, and Cellini cups.
While I don’t celebrate the holidays by adorning my Hawaiian Fusion® Cuisine with precious gems or serve it amid the warm patina of antique silver, I do have a penchant for using caviar to complement the taste and presentation of many of my favorite dishes.
Caviar has long been associated with those of great riches, a luxury afforded only by royalty or the wealthy. I happen to view it as a delicacy of the seas that is equally appropriate for a simple holiday gathering of friends or for an elegant evening gala.
A SPECIAL MEAL
DESERVES A
SPECIAL TREAT |
I pair caviar with a complex range of ingredients that will bring out its delicate “oceany” flavors. The key to preparing dishes with caviar is to design recipes that do not bury these delectable morsels under other ingredients. The art, rather, is in providing a setting of contrasting flavors that allows the beauty of the caviar to shine through.
Salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and hot and spicy are flavor components that make up the sense of taste. To these, I have added my own sixth basic flavor: oceany – an integral part of my cooking. Having grown up in Japan surrounded by the ocean and having spent summer vacations in Hawaii, the unique salty-sweet flavors derived from the sea are so much a part of my cooking that I feel this sublime taste deserves a category of its own.
One might first think of fish when considering ocean flavors, but I like to look beyond to creatively use ingredients that add a distinctive sea flavor of salty and sweet. Caviars can do just that when they are used to accent and enhance the taste of a recipe. I’ve been known to use konbu and dashi in ways that others may use beef or chicken bouillon–as flavor bases.
Since fish and other seafoods have their own distinctive flavors and textures, I don’t classify them in this “oceany” flavor category.
Fish roe (actually fish eggs) or caviars add saltiness and their briny flavor to dishes. I like them too, for their bright colors and crunchy or soft textures that add more visual and textural elements to a dish. It is important to know the types of caviars available and their attributes to enhancing flavor profiles. Caviars such as ikura, masago, tarako, and tobiko can be found at local Japanese markets, fish markets, or sushi bars while sturgeon caviars are typically found at specialty food stores.
True caviar is the roe from sturgeon. Beluga, osetra, and sevruga are the main types, ranging in color from pale silver gray to black, all with a soft texture and briny taste. Sevruga and osetra are not as round in shape as beluga and have a pastry, almost jammy texture that I like; their flavor is more concentrated, too.
Crab eggs are bright orange, good for flavoring mousses, soups and stocks.
Ikura is salmon eggs, red orange, shiny and about the size of baby peas. Each egg has a firm skin that pops as you bite, releasing the creamy fish oils within.
Masago is smelt roe–tiny, red, and salty.
Tarako is cod roe, a pale pink egg with a mild fish flavor and a creamy, grainy texture. It is sometimes referred to as mentaiko, which is actually the deep red roe of Alaskan Pollack that is salted and flavored with chile pepper.
Tobiko is the tiny, bright orange egg of the flying fish. The small round eggs are firm and crunchy. Tobiko can also be green, flavored with wasabi. Consider treating your friends and family as if they were royalty, with or without the fine china and candlelit ambiance of an elegant evening dinner. Try incorporating an eclectic twist in your preparation of a traditional favorite, such as whole roasted salmon with béarnaise sauce. Then watch as the faces of your guests light up when they learn of the gift to which they are being treated, by topping each portion with a touch of caviar. Or if a special night out is needed after all your holiday preparations, try freshly prepared sushi or tuna tartar with caviar at my restaurants.
It is an honor to serve our guests and I view caviar a great way to demonstrate that honor. An uncredited but very apt maxim about caviar states, "To give caviar is to honor the recipient. To serve caviar is to honor the guest." (Author unknown)