Welcome to FISH FOOD TIMES

May. 2015 issue No.137




Pomfret Broiled hiratsukuri sashimi


Pomfret relationship with bonito of the mackerel family is not the relatives, it seems written as "imitate bonito(^Ž—Š)" in Chinese character.

Speaking of why this is "imitated", there is a theory that was to "imitate the bonito" by that it was seen a lot catch is this pomfret in early summer as real bonito.

The reason is that the old days and caught the bonito coming approaches the coast when it comes to the time of early summer in Edo of the Great East Japan, which was able to eat raw. But in Kyoto in western Japan bonito is too far a distance from Kishu and Ise, which is caught in the waters, bonito that can be eaten raw it could not get. So the pomfret which is caught in almost the same season as the bonito also near the sea in Kyoto is that "was eaten raw so as to learn the real bonito (imitate)", is taken to mean bonito (imitation bonito) to learn this, the thing that was written as "bonito to learn".

In addition, there is also a theory that character of "Mana" is correct and not with the letters imitate, this is also a theory that it is correct to write as "Mana bonito" in that delicious fish in the "truly dishes (side dish).

In addition, the book that Wakun was written in the late Edo Period bookmark (Wakunshiori), and is labeled "Managatsuho without salmon in Saigoku the saying goes, say no Managatsuho to Dongguk". It is pomfret which is caught in the west of the sea has been treated as a fish in a more important position is comparable to salmon that are caught in the east of the sea from the old days.


Pomfret of the following images are classified into the Suzuki system Perciformes Stromateoidei pomfret family pomfret genus.

 

The fish that are positioned to relatives to do with the pomfret, and following that has been introduced in the past to FISH FOOD TIMES previously published issue,

 

No.76 Japanese butterfish of the broiled Japanese butterfish that is written in the sashimi (April 2010 issue).

 

Harvest fish of ‡‚22 harvest fish of segoshi (October 2005 issue).

Pomfret is the same Stromateoidei fellow with these fish.

That it is common to fish Stromateoidei has little its presence without noticeable scales, bone also is relatively soft.

Further to which they are common, Harvest fish are living as staple food such as small jellyfish as called jellyfish fish.And pomfret also butterfish also the era of juvenile fish is to eat prefer, such as jellyfish in the same way, seems continue to change in food habits in such as small fish and squids from growing larger.


2 fish of pomfret image below, but scales are lot remains in the still surface to the left, to the right the scales is not nearly with.

Originally, but he silver fine scales closer to black is attached to the entire surface, and pomfret come or increase the number of times that deal with fish or over time, as if scales there is no fish as of right of the image fish body surface becomes to slippery. So the change in the fish surface is of a measure to determine at a glance the goodness of freshness.

In addition, pomfret of these two images, is remarkable length of both Buttocks bire. However Buttocks bire of pomfret in front of the big picture is not so long, I think readers can distinguish the size of the fish are conspicuous than fin.

Large pomfret above image is the adult of size in excess of 1 kg, 2 fish of the image below is like a young fish growth developing not only about 500g, and this way there is a difference in size, appearance not only, it taste great deal different.

For example, products using a small pomfret is look like the following.

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If you are a small pomfret sashimi in hiratsukuri is, sufficiently take not the mihaba as the upper left image, it becomes a commodity that lenticel is noticeable, when the nigiri sushi in the upper right image in sushi Dane, if not tilted large kitchen knife,can not be secured mihaba. But this is because of its thick body, as shown in the following image if you want to sushi Dane with a large pomfret, can take the mihaba without tilting too much kitchen knife.

Large pomfret and small it is, because the differences in the degree of fat and flavor is obvious, is a lot different from customary by even the size of the purchase price. So frequent luxury restaurant purchasing person in charge that use the pomfret as cooking materials, is not only to buy things basically large size.


If you go to the pomfret in sashimi and sushi, which was dismantled in three pieces, the next step should be to "removal of the skin." But it's one of the characteristics of pomfret also of many that should not be so.

The reason is that the removal operation of the skin is not an ordinary fish easily as for skin of pomfret is thin. Thin skin is cut off in the middle because the resistance to tension is weak, remaining skin at the halfway awkward shape, there is a possibility that the treatment is very difficult after.

If you do want to absolutely remove the skin, you can use the method of "thick hide removal" a little special like the image below. This is while having the section of skin with the left hand, a knife technique to thicken remove the skin, is safe is to the removal of the skin by using this.

However, a disadvantage of this "thick hide taking technique" is that it eliminates the subcutaneous fat also whole ton every skin together fish of umami is concentrated. This is not a recommended way, the royal road to eat in the sashimi the pomfret, the broiled only the skin using a burner and ice as the lower image, while confining the umami in the subcutaneous fat, also fragrant flavor of the broiled the skins it is believed that's the way of you can enjoy "broiled".


In this way as the sashimi and sushi of pomfret has posted as a commodity image, but I think skin also eat together, "broiled" can be understood in the above description it is recommended, pomfret eat delicious skin not only is it possible, I would like to noted at the same time that it is possible to eat bone also delicious.

Bone pomfret utilizes a soft characteristic, and not throw this drying in the shade, or the bone rice cracker style by twice fried in oil, can be eat delicious and or the bone vinegar immersed in Tosa vinegar.

Professional chef is not discarded the bones of pomfret, perform it well to take advantage of such a simple "tukidashi". So if there is a chance you have to see the back door of the restaurant, you might be able to find the bone in the pomfret is drying in the shade.

For reference, let described in the image below how to make pomfret bone vinegar.

How to make of pomfret bone vinegar
‚PCIt divides small moderately dried midrib
‚QCBake lightly the sides of the midrib to the extent that it is not burnt
‚RC Fry it in low temperature oil patiently
‚SCImmersed overnight in Tosa vinegar
Pomfret bone vinegar

In this way, pomfret but is no use of a high degree of fish where you remain, including the skin and bones, as well as sashimi and sushi as its cooking uses, its elegant taste good Compatibility Lives to any cuisine. Even a professional chef worlds is treated as a "restaurant purveyor" haute fish, transaction prices also its level and the masses fish of the sides of the fish market is much different.

Last April 28, 2015 (Tuesday) now, the wholesale price is due to auction domestic pomfret in Tsukiji market, high price is ¥ 4,320 per 1kg, low price ¥ 2,160 , high average of the week is ¥ 4,806 , and low price of the averageIt was ¥ 3,240.

Also, pomfret average wholesale price in Tsukiji market for one month in March 2015 is 3,226 yen per 1kg, from February has risen about 15%. About 15% compared to the last year of the same March high, the average wholesale price of pomfret is greater than for the past two years of the same month and has a two-month consecutive.

By the way, in the same March since 2010, so far, but 2,799 yen in 2014 had the highest, recording the highest price in the past six years to become in 2015, rate of such recent luxury fish rise might have support also from the point of this kind of economic recovery of the Japanese economy.

You might receive a rebuked as "such absurdly high fish can not purchase ...!" From the audience. But that this price is a price that assumes the excellent pomfret boasts a respectable size and great freshness of the Japanese restaurant direct at Tsukiji market, which is of course than not that there is no cheap pomfret In addition to this.

As there is also the graph of Kagawa Prefecture, which has been listed above, even in the same kind of size and freshness of pomfret If you go to the local market, a possibility that can be purchase at cheaper than Tsukiji prices are any number of. If the size is small, and a little watery, without any tightness, as long as some may become less taste, it it is not impossible to get the following price half.


But the fish that pomfret, whether more or less what is really correct decision to purchase in favor of the price also down taste, it would should consider well that all means.

In the person in charge to sell the fish, have made themselves the upper limit of the purchase price, for example, "fresh fish will not purchase basically what is more than 2,000 yen per 1kg" to purchase behavior of fresh fish in conditions such as some people.

Such a person is to in front the fish more than 2,000 yen per 1kg "do not possible that sell is such an expensive fish, eventually price cuts and not purchase it because it is not grossed only lead to waste," but he speaks with, this ideaIt is not been able to fundamentally understand that it can not be only he does not increase sales of the fish department.

Fisheries department that we are teaching, use the raw farmed bluefin tuna more than 3,000 yen per 1kg as always a staple, has been basically frozen tuna increasingly companies that do not use only as an emergency stock.

Of course, more and more aggressively stocking also fish is not uncommon to exceed 2,000 yen 1kg of such alfonsino and Blackthroat seaperch, as a result sales growing double-digit year-on-year, there are many companies that profit has continued to ensure smoothly .

It is the "not easy but not impossible" to make such fish department.

In order to fish department, such as it can be product lineup without fear of high purchase price luxury fish, "to change the idea" it is important.

For example, "in order to sell in one piece 100 yen or less, you can either purchase cheap by how the machine cut have been frozen salmon somewhere foreign factory" and he should not be thinking only thing such. On the contrary, because there is worth it delicious, it is important that you like must be prepared to moderate purchase price of "How do I sell the season of raw fish." Such that it is not necessary to molting from the situation that do not use the head.

The method is very simple. It would be to strengthen the "exit" that can digest the high value that was purchased at a high price raw fish. If this thing can understand, after it is executed immediately only ...!


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