One of the most popular fish dishes in Japan is amberjack or yellowtail. The fish, which is native to the northwest Pacific — from Japan to Hawaii — is particularly appreciated in Japan, where it is called “hamachi” or “buri” (鰤). Popular as sushi, “buri” is also delicious when cooked and is a seasonal favorite in the colder months when meat with a higher fat content is better.
Some of the fish consumed are caught wild, but a substantial amount is farmed (about 120,000 tons per year). To populate the farms, every May, farmers fish for the small wild fry (called “mojako”), which can be found under floating seaweed. They scoop out the seaweed together with the “mojako” which are put in cages in the sea.
The small fry are grown until they reach 10 to 50 grams in mass. They are then sold to farmers, who grow them until they reach 3 kilograms (“hamachi”), or 5 kilograms (“buri”). These days, most farmers use extruded pellets to feed the fish.
If you haven’t tried “buri,” here is a simple recipe.
Step 1: Ingredients
- 2 yellowtail fillets
- A little salt
- Some flour
- A little oil
- Grazed white radish (optional). It is said to help digestion of the fish oil.
Teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Japanese sake
- 2 tablespoons of Mirin (Japanese condiment: flavored sake)
- 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
Step 2 : Preparation
- Shake a little salt on both sides of the “buri” fillets
- Place them on a paper towel and remove water (this removes the fishy smell)
- Add some flour
Step 3: Cook
1. Fry both sides of the fillets in a pan with some oil over medium heat
2. Fry both sides until they turn brown and the skin is crispy
Step 4 : Finish with teriyaki sauce
- Mix all the ingredients of teriyaki sauce
- Turn the heat down and pour the sauce onto fillets with spoon
- Simmer until sauce gets thick and glazed
- Serve the fillets on the plate and pour any sauce left in the pan over them
Reference:
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Other recipes:
http://cookpad.com/レシピ/ブリの照り焼き
