Sanma Sashimi 秋刀魚刺身

Sanma Sashimi 秋刀魚刺身

seasonal seafood BG  

Sanma is perhaps most often eat salted and grilled whole. The bitter innards are considered a delicacy, especially when paired with a dry sake or glass of shochu. In our house though the preferred preparation with a truly fresh sanma is sashimi.

The kanji for sanma is autumn sword fish (秋刀魚). In season in the fall and resembling a shiny sword this fish is in season in the fall and winter.

Make two filets, and be sure to peel away the thin skin.

We love sanma with sesame oil and Maldon salt. When having it this way Shinji usually cuts the salmon into thin strips as in the photo and we'll either toss the sanma in the sesame oil and salt or just dip it in. If Shinji is making a sashimi platter then he'll cut the sanma into thicker slices and we'll have it with soy sauce and wasabi.

If you get the chance to try sanma as sashimi please try it. It is a very fishy fish.

Mentaiko Stuffed Sanma

Mentaiko Stuffed Sanma

seasonal fish BG  

Sanma (Pacific Saury) is stuffed with mentaiko and then grilled. The oily meat of the fish is accented by the spicy mentaiko eggs. Great with a glass of sake.

Fileting Sanma

Fileting Sanma

Tsukiji BG  

My husband came home one day from Tsukiji Market with sanma which is in season at the moment.

Here Shinji-san is teaching me how to filet sanma. Cut off the head, and then make a long slice down its back. The knife will easily cut through the spine. And, then take out the guts.

Sanma Himono and Sashimi Style

Sanma Himono and Sashimi Style

Tsukiji BG  

The sanma was eventually turned into himono on the top and sashimi on the bottom. The himono is salted and left out to dry so it becomes rich in umami and all we need to do is pop it into the fish grill. The sashimi is an intense, rich, oily fish so it is sometimes good to have it with a bit of grated ginger with the soy sauce to cut through the fat.