Dining with the Chef!

Welcome to Dining with the Chef.

I'm Rika Yukimasa.

Today, I'm going to show you a couple of tips that will help boost the flavor of your food.

I'll start off with a seafood carpaccio using sea bream dry brined in salt.

This extra step gives the seafood a nice firm texture.

I am also going to saute mushrooms in butter and soy sauce.

By adding wasabi to the sauce, you can give this simple dish a Japanese twist.

Both dishes bring out the inherent umami of seafood and mushrooms,

so I hope you give them a try.

Tokyo, an Asian city with the largest metropolitan population in the world,

the boundaries between old Japan and futuristic Japan are blurred in this metropolis.

The food here is a fusion of cuisine, not just from around Asia, but around the globe.

Our host for this program is culinary expert Rika Yukimasa.

And our co-host is Patrick Harlan, known as Pakkun.

Rika's Tokyo Cuisine.

Today's special... Sea Bream Carpaccio!

- So today I understand we're going to do a sea bream carpaccio.
- Yes.

Do you ever cook fresh seafood at home?

We use fresh seafood a lot, and we don't even have to cook it.

We can serve it raw, like sea bream or horse mackerel or sardines.

- "Maguro," of course, we eat lots of fresh seafood.
- Oh, great.

Well, many people think sashimi grade fish or sushi are the things that you only enjoy at the restaurant.

- Right.
- Yes.

- But you can make them in your own kitchen.
- Exactly.

That's the joy of Japanese cuisine.

- Is there a trick to it?
- Yes, there's one trick.

You just simply sprinkle the salt, and then we do the "Shiojime."

- Salt brining.
- Right.

And then the all of the fish fillet, fillet of the fish.

They become really firm, and it gets out of excess water.

- Right.
- And it brings out a lot of Umami flavor.

That's right.

So it's a very simple trick, but it makes restaurant grade fresh fish available in your own home.

It's amazing.

Here's what we'll need to make the carpaccio.

Today we're using sea bream.

But any kind of fresh fish will do.

A sprinkling of dried red chili pepper will give it a nice kick.

It's time for the "Shiojime."

Dry salted brining.

- Quiz.
- What's that?

Can you tell me which one we are using for the salt brining?

Mm. Interesting.

Well, first, let's figure out what they are.

Pretty good idea. I love salt, so I eat different varieties all the time.

Oh, straight up salty taste.

That's table salt, which is also good.

Table salt. Not a problem, but doesn't add much, just saltiness.

Mmm.

That's got a little flavor, a little more sweetness.

And it's rock salt.

This one, you don't even have to taste.

And even if you wanted to eat it, you should grind it out first.

But...

Mmm. Rock salt.

It's both salty and strong mineral flavor.

I love all these salt, but probably for brining fish,

You're going to put it back in the ocean.

Sea salt, right?

- Bingo.
- Bingo.

Salt is extremely important in cooking.

- If you use table salt, that means this one is eliminating all the umami favor as well as minerals.
- Right.

If you want to cook for meat, this rock salt works pretty well.

Because it gets rid of gamey flavor from the meat.

- And also if you want to add some spice and kick up something, it's really useful.
- Sure.

But sea salt, somehow it's more tender and soft flavor.

- Sweet.
- Yes, sweetness.

So I think for sea brining it, this one is the best.

All right, so we're going to brine with sea salt.

And did you know that there are two types of shape of sashimi?

- Really?
- Yes.

This one is from the back.

And the belly side is this.

How are they different?

This one is first of all, it's the three dimensional.

- This one is flat, right?
- Yes, I can see that.

And this one has less fat.

So I think if you're cooking for carpaccio, this one is very good.

Because when you slice it, you can evenly slice it.

- You can create uniform slices.
- Right.

Okay.

This one, If you want to have melt in the mouth type of sashimi, this is the one you should eat.

Okay. So if you want firmer, more flavorful fish, go with the back cut.

- If you want fatty, more tender fish, go with the belly cut.
- Yes.

- Great. And for carpaccio, we're using the the back side.
- Yes.

So here are our ingredients for the carpaccio.

Of course, we start off with sea bream and sea salt, "ponzu" soy sauce,

sesame oil, ginger, lemon, coriander, and chili pepper.

Yes.

Now, what do we do with all this stuff?

- Now let me show you how to dry brine the fillet.
- All right.

- And you just sprinkle, and then make sure you sprinkle about 1% of the weight.
- Okay.

So this is different from the "Shiomomi," which is a salt massage.

- Yes. You don't do that.
- Okay.

You just sprinkle and then turn over.

This is a very easy technique to make it firm.

Now we are covering with this paper towel.

- And the paper towel would absorb that excess water comes from fish together with saltiness.
- Great.

And not only you can do this with sea bream, you can try with tuna or scallop or any kind of seafood.

I remember the first time I came to Japan, I had sashimi in Japanese place.

I've been used to eating sashimi in America, and it was like a total different experience.

It was just firmer, more flavorful, less watery.

Oh, it didn't have like the fishy smell.

It didn't make me think, I don't want to eat this before I talk to someone because I smell like fish.

It was just fresh, wonderful.

So we've wrapped it up.

How long do we let it sit like this?

We let it sit for 2 to 3 hours.

Put it in the fridge.

All right, let's do that.

- Sometimes it's okay to let it sit for, like, one day.
- Okay.

- Oh really? In the fridge?
- Yes.

Wow.

And this is the only preparation you need to make the better grade carpaccio.

- That's super easy.
- Yes.

After much trial and error, I've come up with a foolproof rule.

Ooh, I like foolproof rules.

Yes, just mix. One to one portion of oil and vinegar.

- Great.
- Yes.

- So today our oil is sesame oil, and our vinegar is actually "ponzu."
- Yes. "Ponzu" sauce.

Today we have something besides "ponzu" and sesame oil.

- Looks like you're going add...
- Yes.

- Exactly. I'm going to use this one.
- A grater.

This is just not a regular grater.

I purchased that at "Kappabashi."

"Kappabashi" is a great place in Tokyo, you've got to come visit.

It's got utensils and cooking pots and pans and knives.

Anything you want for your kitchen.

- You can find in "Kappabashi."
- Right.

- It's kind of like the amusement park.
- Right.

This one has a special blade, which makes it much easier to grate.

- Oh, that's fast.
- Yeah.

It just, you know, it just makes everything really fine.

You don't see the fibers that you often see hanging off ginger after you grate with an ordinary grater.

Quite a portion of ginger.

- That will definitely add a kick.
- Yes.

And then you pour this "ponzu" citrus and sesame oil.

And basically the sauce is done.

Well we're going to cut the coriander or if you have "shiso" leaves or basils, you can use it as condiment.

I love coriander too.

Let's cut this "kuki" part, the stem part.

And thin slice it.

But this one I wanted to try because this is really tasty.

- And then this part, I'm going to sprinkle it over.
- Oh.

- Like a garnish.
- Yes.

And I want to make it a little hotter.

So let's cut these.

Wow.

Serving the pepper on sea bream. That's kind of unusual, but what a great idea.

It works, and refreshes your palate.

Especially during hot months. I love cool fish with a little citrus, little "ponzu."

So good.

This is the kind of dish I prepare for, for some of my friends,

and some people don't like fish at all, but they like this dish.

I believe so.

- Now our sashimi fillet is ready.
- Nice.

It's like unwrapping a Christmas present.

If you see this, you know, you see that white part?

You can tell how much firmer it is just by touching it.

Wow. Nice. So firm.

Fish starts to smell unpleasant when the fat oxides.

Salt triggers osmosis, causing excess moisture to seep out.

This removes the bacteria that cause fishy smells.

It firms up the fish and concentrates the umami flavor.

This simple step works wonders with any kind of seafood,

so be sure to incorporate dry brining into your cooking.

- Now we are ready to cut the fillet into thin slices.
- Great.

- Is there a trick for those too?
- Yes.

First of all, if you were living in Japan, you better buy this sashimi knife.

However it's kind of difficult to get access to it.

So I recommend you to use this bread knife.

That's right. Not everyone in the world eats sashimi, but pretty much everyone needs bread.

So a bread knife.

Well I've used several different kinds of knives in the Western countries, and I couldn't cut the sashimi the way I want it.

- Right.
- But when I use this one, it's perfect.

Great.

It's also long like a sashimi knife, right?

That makes a difference because we try to cut in one stroke, right?

So starting from the edge and gently press the fish fillet and just draw towards you.

Yeah, this bread knife works.

How thin we want each slice to be?

About five millimeters.

Press lightly.

And then with the one stroke motion, instead of cutting like this.

- You don't, you never cut like this.
- You don't want to saw. Right.

Yes. You want to... gently.

This is the motion I am going through.

All right.

I've discovered I can use this.

The bread knife for sashimi.

That is quite fine.

And it is like confuses the fibers or something.

You definitely notice that difference in texture.

Fillet is ready.

Well, let's now plate thin slices on a plate.

Great. Any advice for plating?

- I recommend arranging in a circular pattern.
- Okay.

- Do we start on the inside or outside?
- Inside.

- Inside. Okay.
- Starting from inside.

All right.

If you touch the fish, then the temperature will change the flavor.

Right. You don't want to warm up the fish with your fingers.

No.

So when you arrange in the circular pattern, you can use the, you can circle.

- Rotate.
- Rotate the dish.

Smart. Yeah, I was being dumb.

I was trying to rotate my body and the dish is so much smaller than me.

And instead of using all the space on the plate,

leaving out some of the surface of the plate, makes it look, I think, more elegant.

Mine is all a little off center.

Looks great.

Variations are personality.

And then pour over the dressing.

You can put the coriander.

And finally, I'm gonna grate the lemon zest.

It's very important that you rotate the lemon.

You don't want to grate this white part.

Only yellow part.

So, you grate from different parts of the lemon.

You rotate.

- Awesome. Pretty!
- Yes.

- Great!
- Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Wow.

I can't believe I made that.

I'm so proud.

- Yes, beautiful.
- Thank you.

Sea Bream Carpaccio!

The "ponzu" and sesame oil dressing goes so well with the firm texture of dry-brined sea bream.

With the addition of ginger, dried red chili and lemon, it's a whole new way of enjoying sashimi.

Don't be afraid of raw fish. Give it a try!

This looks great! 1,2,3, cheese!

Perfect.

I send it to all my friends.

- It's the proof that I can cook.
- Yes.

This is what you made.

The lemon peel looks like little gold flakes on there.

Gorgeous.

Oh, wow.

The fish, firm and soft.

I think I got a belly piece because it's really... it's got that nice fresh, juicy, oily flavor, but it's not fishy smelling.

And all the condiments, you can tell it.

The lemon peel with "ponzu," really strong citrus flavor, plus the coriander in that little Southeast Asian feeling,

plus the pepper, a little kick there. It's amazing.

We've learned how to make dry brine sea bream.

Are there any other ways that we can use it besides carpaccio?

Yes. You can also place this on top of sushi rice.

- Dry brine a whole bunch of varieties of fish, cut them, arrange them on rice, and have like a "Kaisen-Don."
- Yes.

A Seafood Domburi. That would be great.

This technique has plenty of applications. Put it to good use.

Now for a dish of Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter Sauce.

You can use other types of mushrooms instead of "shiitake."

The wasabi will make it taste even more Japanese.

Now let's saute the mushrooms in butter and soy sauce.

- So this is going to be great.
- Yes.

So the ingredients are mushrooms, butter, soy sauce, wasabi, "shiso" leaves and sea salt.

This is really one of my favorite dishes of all time.

It's so good.

But exactly why do soy sauce and butter go so well with mushrooms?

It somehow adds kind of like a burnt flavor.

I think this burnt flavor, you like this burnt flavor when you charcoal anything.

So butter and soy sauce enhances flavor to anything that you're cooking.

So use this butter, soy sauce, and maybe wasabi combination.

We're not only sauteing the vegetables, but for pasta for seafood, other vegetables,

it's just the combination you have to remember.

Today I'm using this champion white button mushroom.

And "shiitake," but you can use various different kinds of mushrooms.

First, you're going to cut the bottom.

All right. The hard part.

And then actually, this is how you cut it.

Instead of cutting all the way with the knife, cut and then kind of like, pry open.

Interesting. Why?

This way, the surface area of mushroom is more than when you cut straight.

- You want to sort of torn the stem instead of cutting.
- Right.

Okay.

Cut halfway through the mushrooms and then tear apart.

This creates a large, rough surface area, so the mushrooms will absorb more flavor.

Okay. Should be ready.

- I'm going to prepare the garnish.
- Okay.

This one is "shiso" leaves.

- But you can also use basil maybe.
- Sure.

When you want to cut "shiso," you roll up like this tightly.

Cut it in half.

And line it up.

Line it up, and cut into thin slices.

That's a smart trick. It saves a lot of time.

Western flavor, you could add sesame.

- This base of soy sauce and butter makes everything good after, right?
- Exactlly.

- And from here, you have to prepare the dish because it's going to cook within a minute.
- Okay.

Start your watches.

Yes. Turn the heat to high.

You don't want to cook everything through it.

You want a coat with butter and soy sauce and wasabi.

Really. Okay. So you're not really cooking.

- You're sort of braising and coat it.
- Right.

Okay.

And in order to see the temperature, you just put a little bit, experiment.

- And it's off to the races.
- Yes.

And it's once melted, you place everything in it.

- Sprinkle some salt.
- All right.

Is that for flavoring or is it to infuse the mushroom somehow?

- It brings out the flavor.
- Okay.

Maybe just a little bit.

Ooh, smells so wonderful.

So never add soy sauce from the beginning.

Really? Why not?

- It burns quickly.
- Okay.

You don't want to burn the soy sauce.

Okay.

It's almost better when you turn off the heat and add the soy sauce.

- Oh, really? So you don't burn it off?
- No.

Okay, that's smart.

So you're doing this sauteing.

I'm going to put some wasabi into the soy sauce.

Soy sauce first? Okay.

And then turn off the heat, and add this.

- The mushrooms are dancing for joy.
- Yes.

It should be ready.

Oh, smells so wonderful.

This seasoning is like such a easy thing to cook.

- But it could be a wonderful appetizer, maybe you can open up a bottle of chardonnay.
- Sure.

Light crispy chardonnay.

- And if you had this in a restaurant, it'd be, you know, $10.
- Yes.

But you can make it here in your home in 10 minutes for $3? Nothing.

- You want to give a little bit of air to the "shiso" leaves.
- Okay.

- Because it makes it fluffier.
- Right.

And then, using chopstick vertically, place them.

- Nice.
- Yes.

Enjoy.

Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter Soy Sauce.

Enjoy the aroma of butter, soy sauce, and mushrooms.

The fragrant sauce enhances the firm texture of the fragrant mushrooms.

And there's a tantalizing hint of wasabi.

Fantastic.

Look, it's so beautiful.

It's heaven. It's just heaven.

And everything in this dish provides that.

Plus the "shiso" leaves add a little bit of, I don't know, kick, a little accent, a little wake up.

Just make sure you're realizing there is more going on in your mouth.

And just soy sauce, butter, and mushrooms. So good!

- It remains the texture of ingredients.
- Right.

And there's just a little bit of wasabi, I forgot.

There's a little wasabi going on there.

This one is so quick and easy to make, and it's so simple.

So I think it's important that you saute first, and then turn off the heat, add soy sauce.

This technique is very important. Remember it.

Today, I showed you a couple of techniques to make the most of your ingredients.

I like to keep things as simple as possible without sacrificing flavor or presentation.

I'm also interested in incorporating Japanese culinary techniques to create something new.

Cooking is all about experimentation.

So I hope you have fun adding twists to the recipes I introduced today.

See you again next time on Dining with the Chef!

Let's recap. First, the Sea Bream Carpaccio.

Sprinkle with sea salt, wrap in a paper towel and set aside in the fridge for at least two hours to firm and remove fishy odors.

Use a bread knife to slice the sashimi.

See you can do it, like a pro.

Mix the "ponzu," sesame oil and condiments, and drizzle over the sashimi.

Garnish with grated lemon zest and coriander leaves, and the Seabream Carpaccio is ready to serve.

Next, Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter Soy Sauce with Wasabi.

Tearing rather than cutting the mushrooms will make them more flavorful.

Cut the "shiso" into shreds.

Heat the frying pan and saute the mushrooms in butter and a pinch of salt.

Once the mushrooms are evenly coated with butter, turn off the heat.

Add the wasabi soy sauce and toss the mushrooms.

Top with "shiso" leaves, and it's finished.

The natural flavors of these recipes are the stars.

Give them a try!