I reside in Southern Maine, and have an excellent fish monger. The "you
don't want that it was delivered last night" variety. Doesn't hurt that
he's also my childhood best friend's uncle. :-) I was asking if anything he
has is sashimi grade, he says most of it is, checking with some local sushi
chefs I confirmed that they do purchase from this company.

I've only ever made California Maki, and assorted vegetable makis at home.
But I'm ready to take the plunge and try some raws on my own. Any thoughts
on what a *good* jumping off point would be for fish choices? As long as I
get the okay from the fish monger I'm open to about anything, I'm certainly
going to alow him to be my guide, but at the same time I don't want to get
in over my head.

Today's list of safe is..
suzuki
ebi
hotategai
sake...which I am a bit leary of for home prep


Jessica

Jessica Vincent wrote:

I reside in Southern Maine, and have an excellent fish monger. The "you
don't want that it was delivered last night" variety. Doesn't hurt that
he's also my childhood best friend's uncle. :-) I was asking if anything he
has is sashimi grade, he says most of it is, checking with some local sushi
chefs I confirmed that they do purchase from this company.

I've only ever made California Maki, and assorted vegetable makis at home.
But I'm ready to take the plunge and try some raws on my own. Any thoughts
on what a *good* jumping off point would be for fish choices? As long as I
get the okay from the fish monger I'm open to about anything, I'm certainly
going to alow him to be my guide, but at the same time I don't want to get
in over my head.


A good first try fish is always maguro.


Today's list of safe is..
suzuki
ebi
hotategai
sake...which I am a bit leary of for home prep

Ebi is boiled, unless this is amaebi. Sake is also another good first
try fish. Hotategai may be a little bit tougher, unless you want to
chop it up and make it gunkan style.

Good luck.

--
Dan

Dan Logcher wrote
Hotategai may be a little bit tougher, unless you want to
chop it up and make it gunkan style.

Tough as in chewy? I've never had scallops that are chewy, they're
always buttery soft. If you mean difficult to make, he ones I've had
are sliced through in the middle and opened up so it fits nicely on
the rice.

"Jessica Vincent" wrote in message
ink.net...
I reside in Southern Maine, and have an excellent fish monger. The "you
don't want that it was delivered last night" variety. Doesn't hurt that
he's also my childhood best friend's uncle. :-) I was asking if anything
he
has is sashimi grade, he says most of it is, checking with some local
sushi
chefs I confirmed that they do purchase from this company.

I've only ever made California Maki, and assorted vegetable makis at home.
But I'm ready to take the plunge and try some raws on my own. Any
thoughts
on what a *good* jumping off point would be for fish choices? As long as
I
get the okay from the fish monger I'm open to about anything, I'm
certainly
going to alow him to be my guide, but at the same time I don't want to get
in over my head.

Today's list of safe is..
suzuki

If you're in Maine, suzuki could only mean Striped Bass. But there's a huge
difference
between wild striped bass and farmed hybrid striped bass.
I don't mean to sound like some salmon person, but the natural sal****er
striped bass is
tastier and has a better texture than the hybrid.
And it is excellent whether as standard nigiri with soy sauce and wasabi, or
sliced very thin
(usuzukuri) and served with ponzu and condiments.

ebi

Any shrimp can be used boiled. But amaebi and botan ebi are delicious raw.
Since there is a huge taste/texture difference I'd suggest you try raw at an
establishment first to see if you like it.

hotategai

In Japan scallops are sold in the shell with the whole scallop inside. Here
in the US all I ever
see are the kaibashira (the part that holds the shells together).
Anyway the small ones should be whole if small enough or chopped and used in
a
gunkan maki style.
Large ones can be semi-split and will sit on the shari (rice) perfectly.
Really fresh scallop can be enjoyed not just with the usual soy sauce and
wasabi.
A dab of yuzugoshou alone, or a sprinkling of lemon and a bit of salt can
be a delicious alternative presentation.

sake...which I am a bit leary of for home prep

If the salmon is fresh enough (ask your fish monger) you really don't have
to worry.
Although some people will freeze and thaw salmon, particularly wild pacific
salmon,
almost everyone I know who uses farmed atlantic uses it fresh.
Just remember that there is a huge difference in fat content between the
upper half (back side)
and the lower half (belly side).

I truly envy having as good a source of fresh fish as you do.
Good luck.
Musashi

Tippi wrote:

Dan Logcher wrote

Hotategai may be a little bit tougher, unless you want to
chop it up and make it gunkan style.


Tough as in chewy? I've never had scallops that are chewy, they're
always buttery soft. If you mean difficult to make, he ones I've had
are sliced through in the middle and opened up so it fits nicely on
the rice.

No no, not tough chewy. Hard to make a nigiri out of scallop. It's
quite soft and needs to be sliced a certain way, like butterflied, to
fit on a standard sized rice ball. Chopped up in a gunkan is easiest,
and can be mixed with a spicy sauce if you prefer.

If they are already sliced for you, then do that. I love fresh hotategai.

--
Dan

"Musashi" wrote in message om...
"Jessica Vincent" wrote in message
ink.net...
I reside in Southern Maine, and have an excellent fish monger. The "you
don't want that it was delivered last night" variety. Doesn't hurt that
he's also my childhood best friend's uncle. :-) I was asking if anything
he
has is sashimi grade, he says most of it is, checking with some local
sushi
chefs I confirmed that they do purchase from this company.

I've only ever made California Maki, and assorted vegetable makis at home.
But I'm ready to take the plunge and try some raws on my own. Any
thoughts
on what a *good* jumping off point would be for fish choices? As long as
I
get the okay from the fish monger I'm open to about anything, I'm
certainly
going to alow him to be my guide, but at the same time I don't want to get
in over my head.

Today's list of safe is..
suzuki

If you're in Maine, suzuki could only mean Striped Bass. But there's a huge
difference
between wild striped bass and farmed hybrid striped bass.
I don't mean to sound like some salmon person, but the natural sal****er
striped bass is
tastier and has a better texture than the hybrid.
And it is excellent whether as standard nigiri with soy sauce and wasabi, or
sliced very thin
(usuzukuri) and served with ponzu and condiments.

ebi

Any shrimp can be used boiled. But amaebi and botan ebi are delicious raw.
Since there is a huge taste/texture difference I'd suggest you try raw at an
establishment first to see if you like it.

hotategai

In Japan scallops are sold in the shell with the whole scallop inside. Here
in the US all I ever
see are the kaibashira (the part that holds the shells together).
Anyway the small ones should be whole if small enough or chopped and used in
a
gunkan maki style.
Large ones can be semi-split and will sit on the shari (rice) perfectly.
Really fresh scallop can be enjoyed not just with the usual soy sauce and
wasabi.
A dab of yuzugoshou alone, or a sprinkling of lemon and a bit of salt can
be a delicious alternative presentation.

sake...which I am a bit leary of for home prep

If the salmon is fresh enough (ask your fish monger) you really don't have
to worry.
Although some people will freeze and thaw salmon, particularly wild pacific
salmon,
almost everyone I know who uses farmed atlantic uses it fresh.
Just remember that there is a huge difference in fat content between the
upper half (back side)
and the lower half (belly side).

I truly envy having as good a source of fresh fish as you do.
Good luck.
Musashi


Jessica, I live in NE Mass, and have the same types of seafood
available to me. No problem with the salmon, go for the front fillet
portion with the belly meat. Slice it across the grain and you will be
fine. You can cut the belly meat into portions for nigiri sushi or
sashimi. The upper half can be used for maki, lean sashimi, and
teriyaki.

Don't forget our other local species either! Monktail is awesome if
you slice it thin and cook it like eel. Cusk is good too. Then we get
great hirame flounder, stripers and mackerel in the summer.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!

The small native shrimp are just fantastic eaten raw. Restaurants sell
these as ama-ebi. I am not afraid to maki roll them with a scallion
and some masago.

Native scallops are fantastic too, what I do is make a gunkan wrap,
then put some sliced scallop into it. I slice the scallops from the
top down, and not too thick. If you lay the slices on edge inside the
gunkan, you get a nice flower presentation. You might even sour it up
by putting a very small piece of lemon section in there.

And you forgot the CLAMS!!!!! How about a fried clam futomaki roll?
Puts a spider roll to shame. If you make 'em homemade with panko
breadcrumbs instead of clam fry... how can you go wrong??? You can lay
3, maybe 4 fried clams inside the futomaki, add a generous helping of
bonito flakes then roll away. If you like it spicy, add some wasabi to
a bit of tartar sauce. Spread some of that on the rice before you roll
it up. Try a freshly shucked softshell clam in a gunkan wrap. Eat it
quick before the wrap gets soggy from the clam juice.

Don't forget the Quahogs either. Skip the littlenecks & cherrystones.
Too small. Get the giant cheap quahogs. What you want is the foot
section of the clam. Shuck the clam, and remove the gills and adductor
muscles. Chop those for the chowda pot. Slice the foot section thin.
Pat it dry. Use for sashimi, nigiri, or maki.

Lobster?? Only way to eat this is a strip of tail/claw meat rolled
with an asparagus spear. I happen to think cooked is better than raw
in this instance. I spread the rice with some cooked tomalley before
rolling for added yum factor.
If you have any pieces of cooked lobster roe (coral) break it up so it
looks like masago. Make an inside out roll. Something else I like to
do with lobster is to take the tomalley, body meat and leg meat then
chop it fine. I add a couple drops of mirin to it, a few grains of sea
salt, and a piece of fine chopped gari ginger. The pickled ginger will
enhance the flavor of everything else and kick your tastebuds into
orbit.

Jim S.

"Jim S." wrote in message
om...

Jessica, I live in NE Mass, and have the same types of seafood
available to me. No problem with the salmon, go for the front fillet
portion with the belly meat. Slice it across the grain and you will be
fine. You can cut the belly meat into portions for nigiri sushi or
sashimi. The upper half can be used for maki, lean sashimi, and
teriyaki.

Don't forget our other local species either! Monktail is awesome if
you slice it thin and cook it like eel. Cusk is good too. Then we get
great hirame flounder, stripers and mackerel in the summer.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!


Monkfish in Japan is a traditional winter dish, Anko-nabe a hotpot.
I've done it twice this year, as well as made Ankimo.
Although not mainstream, monkfish can ge prepared as tataki,
slighty seared on the outside.
I don't know what cusk is but sounds like a cod-like good for the nabe
type of fish.

And you forgot the CLAMS!!!!! How about a fried clam futomaki roll?
Puts a spider roll to shame. If you make 'em homemade with panko
breadcrumbs instead of clam fry... how can you go wrong??? You can lay
3, maybe 4 fried clams inside the futomaki, add a generous helping of
bonito flakes then roll away. If you like it spicy, add some wasabi to
a bit of tartar sauce. Spread some of that on the rice before you roll
it up. Try a freshly shucked softshell clam in a gunkan wrap. Eat it
quick before the wrap gets soggy from the clam juice.

Sounds interesting. Although I'm not a fan of untraditional sushi, that
sounds
right up there with spider rolls and the grouper roll of florida both using
something
fried in the center.

Don't forget the Quahogs either. Skip the littlenecks & cherrystones.
Too small. Get the giant cheap quahogs. What you want is the foot
section of the clam. Shuck the clam, and remove the gills and adductor
muscles. Chop those for the chowda pot. Slice the foot section thin.
Pat it dry. Use for sashimi, nigiri, or maki.

Brilliant use of the large chowder clams.

Dan Logcher wrote in message ...

A good first try fish is always maguro.

agreed, but IIRC not likely to be found fresh near maine.

"Jessica Vincent" wrote in message link.net...
sake...which I am a bit leary of for home prep

if i could get a hunk of sushi grade salmon where i didn't have to
worry about parasites i'd have a party:

- i'd serve the belly tataki style with yusu kosho (which might be
hard to find in maine);
- broil the skin (leaving a little meat for flavor) for temakis;
- take the backbone, chop it into palm-width pieces, sprinkle them
with salt & pepper and broil them for appetizers;
- broil the collar & serve it with ponzu;

and i haven't even gotten to the filet yet.

danseur wrote:

"Jessica Vincent" wrote in message link.net...

sake...which I am a bit leary of for home prep


if i could get a hunk of sushi grade salmon where i didn't have to
worry about parasites i'd have a party:

- i'd serve the belly tataki style with yusu kosho (which might be
hard to find in maine);
- broil the skin (leaving a little meat for flavor) for temakis;
- take the backbone, chop it into palm-width pieces, sprinkle them
with salt & pepper and broil them for appetizers;
- broil the collar & serve it with ponzu;

and i haven't even gotten to the filet yet.

If her fish monger is getting these other items, they might also be
getting sake and maguro to round out the selection. I can get them
around Boston, and I know they don't catch the salmon around here.

--
Dan

On 3 Feb 2004 18:40:20 -0800, (Jim S.)
wrote:


The small native shrimp are just fantastic eaten raw. Restaurants sell
these as ama-ebi. I am not afraid to maki roll them with a scallion
and some masago.

I just picked up some yesterday. The small Maine shrimp are one of
the few things that make this time of year with our weather bearable.
Wonderful raw. Just wonderful.


Native scallops are fantastic too, what I do is make a gunkan wrap,
then put some sliced scallop into it. I slice the scallops from the
top down, and not too thick. If you lay the slices on edge inside the
gunkan, you get a nice flower presentation. You might even sour it up
by putting a very small piece of lemon section in there.

Freshly shucked scallop in the shell is awesome as sashimi.


And you forgot the CLAMS!!!!! How about a fried clam futomaki roll?
Puts a spider roll to shame. If you make 'em homemade with panko
breadcrumbs instead of clam fry... how can you go wrong??? You can lay
3, maybe 4 fried clams inside the futomaki, add a generous helping of
bonito flakes then roll away. If you like it spicy, add some wasabi to
a bit of tartar sauce. Spread some of that on the rice before you roll
it up. Try a freshly shucked softshell clam in a gunkan wrap. Eat it
quick before the wrap gets soggy from the clam juice.


Fried clam maki. That sounds amazing. I can't believe I've never
thought to do that. You think that would work with fried oysters too?
I think I'd whip up a spicy mayo instead of the tartar sauce though.
Maybe add a hit of scallion and do it up like temaki.

Thanks for the excellent idea!

Scoop

We have handrolls made up with fried oysters around here (Houston) and also
fried soft-shell crawfish. Yum! They do use spicy mayo.

--


Keith
__
"People who willing to give up freedom for the sake of short term security,
deserve neither freedom nor security" - Benjamin Franklin
"Scoop" wrote in message
...
On 3 Feb 2004 18:40:20 -0800, (Jim S.)
wrote:


The small native shrimp are just fantastic eaten raw. Restaurants sell
these as ama-ebi. I am not afraid to maki roll them with a scallion
and some masago.

I just picked up some yesterday. The small Maine shrimp are one of
the few things that make this time of year with our weather bearable.
Wonderful raw. Just wonderful.


Native scallops are fantastic too, what I do is make a gunkan wrap,
then put some sliced scallop into it. I slice the scallops from the
top down, and not too thick. If you lay the slices on edge inside the
gunkan, you get a nice flower presentation. You might even sour it up
by putting a very small piece of lemon section in there.

Freshly shucked scallop in the shell is awesome as sashimi.


And you forgot the CLAMS!!!!! How about a fried clam futomaki roll?
Puts a spider roll to shame. If you make 'em homemade with panko
breadcrumbs instead of clam fry... how can you go wrong??? You can lay
3, maybe 4 fried clams inside the futomaki, add a generous helping of
bonito flakes then roll away. If you like it spicy, add some wasabi to
a bit of tartar sauce. Spread some of that on the rice before you roll
it up. Try a freshly shucked softshell clam in a gunkan wrap. Eat it
quick before the wrap gets soggy from the clam juice.


Fried clam maki. That sounds amazing. I can't believe I've never
thought to do that. You think that would work with fried oysters too?
I think I'd whip up a spicy mayo instead of the tartar sauce though.
Maybe add a hit of scallion and do it up like temaki.

Thanks for the excellent idea!

Scoop

Dan Logcher wrote in message ...
danseur wrote:

"Jessica Vincent" wrote in message link.net...

sake...which I am a bit leary of for home prep


if i could get a hunk of sushi grade salmon where i didn't have to
worry about parasites i'd have a party:

- i'd serve the belly tataki style with yusu kosho (which might be
hard to find in maine);
- broil the skin (leaving a little meat for flavor) for temakis;
- take the backbone, chop it into palm-width pieces, sprinkle them
with salt & pepper and broil them for appetizers;
- broil the collar & serve it with ponzu;

and i haven't even gotten to the filet yet.

If her fish monger is getting these other items, they might also be
getting sake and maguro to round out the selection. I can get them
around Boston, and I know they don't catch the salmon around here.

i got the impression that the original poster wanted to work with
local items caught in nearby waters.

danseur wrote:

Dan Logcher wrote in message ...

danseur wrote:


"Jessica Vincent" wrote in message link.net...


sake...which I am a bit leary of for home prep


if i could get a hunk of sushi grade salmon where i didn't have to
worry about parasites i'd have a party:

- i'd serve the belly tataki style with yusu kosho (which might be
hard to find in maine);
- broil the skin (leaving a little meat for flavor) for temakis;
- take the backbone, chop it into palm-width pieces, sprinkle them
with salt & pepper and broil them for appetizers;
- broil the collar & serve it with ponzu;

and i haven't even gotten to the filet yet.

If her fish monger is getting these other items, they might also be
getting sake and maguro to round out the selection. I can get them
around Boston, and I know they don't catch the salmon around here.


i got the impression that the original poster wanted to work with
local items caught in nearby waters.

Could be. I would round out the assortment with a few easy items,
as well as the local selection.

--
Dan

I really appreciate all the input, I'll be sure to let you all know how my
experiments turn out. Had some ami-ebi Friday, those sweet little Maine
shrimp...wonderful.

On an even better note the human child now loves raw fish. I had to fight
for my fair share of sake and yellowtail on friday night. Delighted with
the freshness and lack of green leaf lettuce in maki at BenKay on India
Street in Portland Maine. I had been taking her to Yosaku also in Portland,
but on my last visit I was not impressed. Went with friends, none of whom
had been there before, no warm cloths for washing hands, no plates, special
$1 nigeri night (not something that I really want to see when I'm taking
friends to a place that had been really good, for the first time) thus only
allowed one sushi order, asked if we could order more at full price and were
told no. The fish was still good but the management seems to have seen
better days.

Jessica
"Dan Logcher" wrote in message
...
danseur wrote:

Dan Logcher wrote in message
...

danseur wrote:


"Jessica Vincent" wrote in message
link.net...


sake...which I am a bit leary of for home prep


if i could get a hunk of sushi grade salmon where i didn't have to
worry about parasites i'd have a party:

- i'd serve the belly tataki style with yusu kosho (which might be
hard to find in maine);
- broil the skin (leaving a little meat for flavor) for temakis;
- take the backbone, chop it into palm-width pieces, sprinkle them
with salt & pepper and broil them for appetizers;
- broil the collar & serve it with ponzu;

and i haven't even gotten to the filet yet.

If her fish monger is getting these other items, they might also be
getting sake and maguro to round out the selection. I can get them
around Boston, and I know they don't catch the salmon around here.


i got the impression that the original poster wanted to work with
local items caught in nearby waters.

Could be. I would round out the assortment with a few easy items,
as well as the local selection.

--
Dan