Trevally Sashimi

Author: JayPenfold

Category: Fish recipes

Created on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 21:43

Written by Jay 'Yakfisher' Penfold

Sashimi with pink grapefruit and ginger vinegarette

Sashimi at first, is both daunting technically and from a confidence point of view. Apprentice sushi chefs typically wash rice for the first 5 years before they move on to cutting fish fillets. It may take many more years before they are allowed to actually serve a dish to a customer and be allowed to interact with them. I'd love to say that my first attempt at sashimi Trevally was an unparalelled success, but my cuts were jagged, my technique lacking, my knives not any where near sharp enough, my focus not where it needed to be. However, the dish, for a rank, untrained amateur was strikingly delicious.

The very act of cutting the fish across the grain at a certain angle, the combination of the sauce, the great company, the informal environment, the sheer simplicity of the dish and ultimately the freshness of the fish, made it a winner with my 'Western guests' (My mom and dad visiting from South Australia.) Give this a go anyway. You couldn't possibly match a Sashimi master; this is a fantasic way to eat fresh fish. Practice makes perfect right? The key to executing the dish, apart from the freshness of the fish, is to cut a loin of fish from your fillet that has a nice uniform rectangular shape. No skin, no bloodline, no bone. Wrap the fish in gladwrap and place the fish into the freezer for 20 minutes prior to slicing to firm it up but not freeze it. This enables much finer and more accurate slices to be made. The sharpest knife in your arsenal is cruical. Bear in mind that an entry level sashimi knife starts at about $450, a top end sashimi knife from Japan, retails for in excess of $2500 (new kayak anyone?). I found that nothing I had was good enough for this job but I gave it a red hot go anyway and the dish was enjoyed by all. Each cut needs to be made cleanly, at a 45 degree angle, in one cut, no sawing through the fillet! The knife you choose needs to be straight, stiff and sharp (sharper than a razor) but have a fine profile, i.e, thin as is possible to glide through the fish in one stroke. Gone are the days when sashimi needs a bowl of soy, wasabi and some pickled ginger. It's all about a suitable garnish and a dipping sauce of greater complexity. It's well worth the effort, and will be practiced in my household as a stand out favourite way to start a meal.

Sashimi with pink grapefruit and ginger vinegarette

Ingredients:

1 x 200gm fillet of trevalley (or tuna or kingfish) skinned, bloodlines removed, pin boned, cut into a loin

Ginger vinegarette:

1 x drop sherry vinegar

1/4 x teaspoon grated ginger

1 x teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 x teaspoon finely crushed garlic salt and pepper to to taste

Garnish:

1/4 pink grapefruit segmented with all pith removed and sliced finely. 1 x shallot leaf, green part only, sliced very finely

To make the vinegarette, simply combine all of the ingredients and allow to sit in the fridge for an hour or two for the flavours to infuse.

Slice the fish as precisely as possible, handling as little as possible, cutting at a 45 degree angle in one slice. Keep the entire fillet together then slide your knife underneath and transfer the whole fillet at once to you serving plate. Top with fine segments of pink grapefruit, garnish with the shallots, then very lightly dress the fish with the vinegarette. Don't drown the luscious fish with sauce! It won't need it.

The fish for this recipe was this 1.75kg juvenile Giant Trevally.