Sushi Chef Rick "Koji" Hashimoto, above right, and Kitchen Chef Kazuto "Kaz" Kishino of Hana Japanese Eatery team up to serve both fish two ways: raw or cooked. Today they dish up Rainbow Carpaccio from the sushi bar and Tai Ishi Yaki steamed table-side.
Rainbow Carpaccio What you'll need: 2 thin slices Tuna 2 thin slices Salmon 2 thin slices Yellowtail 2 thin slices Halibut Approx. ½ cup Cucumber Relish, cold 1-2 Tbsp Lemon garlic olive oil 1 lemon wheel, cut into 8 pieces 8 pieces roasted garlicClick through for the sashimi style assembly and the Tai Ishi Yaki recipe.
What you'll do:
On a long, thin serving dish, place each set of fish about an inch apart.
Top each piece of fish with about a small slice, about one-eighth, of lemon and a piece of roasted garlic.
Flank the fish with a generous spoonful of cold cucumber relish.
Drizzle lemon garlic olive oil on top.
What you'll do:
Layer the suma and shiso on the cooking grate. Place the tai (and other seafood) on top.
Place the cooking grate on top of the hot stones inside the ceramic pot.
Add sake to the stones, creating steam, and quickly close the lid until the seafood is cooked, about 6-10 seconds. (Chef's note: You can continue adding sake and cooking until desired level of doneness is reached.)
Roll up a piece of tai and some suma in a shiso leaf, dip it in the ume sauce and enjoy!
Make sure your fish is the freshest of the fresh, because it's the main event in each of these. If you balk at the thought of dishing up uncooked meat (mainly for fear of food-poisoning yourself and your guests), leave the prep to the professionals at Hana. You might even catch Koji carving up a mackerel right then and there.
This is our third installment of Chef Chat with Koji and Kaz. Check out parts one and two for more about the men who wanted to be millionaires and movie stars but wound up in the kitchen instead, serving up Japanese food with style.
