Hotate Takikomi Gohan 帆立ご飯 Scallops and Rice

Takikomigohan is rice steamed with different ingredients. It can be as simple as green peas or as complicated as several different ingredients such as a gomokugohan. Gomokugohan would have five different ingredients in the rice pot with the rice like chicken, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, hijiki, and gobo, for example. The rice is steamed with water, sake, mirin, and soy sauce.

As Shinji is a fishmonger we often make our takikomigohan with seafood. If you are working with raw fish like a whole sea bream or a filet of salmon, the fish needs to be salted and grilled before adding it to the rice pot. If the fish is not grilled the rice will be very fishy. I made the mistake once and will never do it again.

This is a very simple recipe. The scallops are pre-cooked. The amount of liquid to rice is still one to one, as when steaming white rice. The only difference is that a bit of sake, mirin, and soy sauce is added to the cup before being topped off with water. Steam as normal.

Takikomigohan

Scallops

Japanese Rice

Kaisen Donburi 海鮮丼

It's a good day when Shinji brings home work, literally Japanese seafood. One morning we had kaisen donburi for breakfast. Kaisen can be translated as "fresh seafood" and donburi is any large bowl of rice with toppings.

This kaisen donburi has ikura (salmon roe), katsuo (bonito), and kani (crab).

Ikura

Bonito

Salmon Zuke Ikura Don サーモン漬けいくら丼

Shinji marinated some of the salmon sashimi with some soy sauce and mirin overnight. We had it for dinner over a bowl of rice with some ikura (salmon roe). When we have the salmon sashimi we garnish it with the seasoned kombu, but as it has a lot of flavor from the soy sauce and mirin we put just a bit of nori underneath the salmon which gives the dish some earthiness. This same marinade can be used for tuna.

Atlantic Salmon

Ikura

Shinji's Salmon and Ikura Don サーモンいくら丼

Shinji offered to make breakfast this morning. When he said he wanted to make a salmon and ikura donburi (rice bowl), how could I say no? Ikura, the roe from the salmon, is the perfect companion to the tender salmon. On the rice he puts a bit of aonori (a sea vegetable) that brings an earthiness to the dish. On top of the salmon is minced (mijin) seasoned kombu (another sea vegetable). Delicious and healthy.

Salmon

Ikura

Shinji's Tuna Donburi 鮪丼

The best part of being married to a fishmonger is when he comes home with seafood. Tonight Shinji came home with mebachi tuna, or bigeye. It was sashimi quality, meaning that it can be, and should be, eaten raw. Shinji sliced up the tuna and over the rice he put some aonori, or sea vegetable, topped it with the tuna, and then garnished the tuna with mijin kombu, another type of sea vegetable that is a bit salty.

Simple meal, but satisfying.

Tuna

Wakasagi Fry ワカサギフライ

These wakasagi (Japanese smelt) are best when dusted with flour and deep-fried. Just season with salt and pour yourself a glass of cold sake or shochu on the rocks. Rich in calcium as the whole fish is eaten, head to tail.

Quick and Easy Saikyo Miso Marinated Fish 西京漬け魚

This recipe, made famous by Nobu and his Miso Marinated Cod, could not be any easier. We start with good quality sweet white (rice based) miso (kome miso) and good sake. Usually it is just one part miso and one part sake. Mix until combined. I like to put the fish (anything oily like cod or salmon) layered in cheesecloth in the marinade. It is easier to remove from the miso and grill. If the fish has too much miso on it it will burn quickly in the grill.

We usually marinate for 24 to 36 hours, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Grill until cooked through. If you don't have a fish grill at home, then cook over medium high heat in a nonstick fry pan.

The marinade can be used a few times (in a short period).

Miso Marinade

Black Cod With Miso