Our Daily Dinner

Our Daily Dinner

March 15, 2010

Chef’s Night Off

Sushi & Sashimi

If it’s Monday, it must be sushi. Once I couldn't get to the store on Monday and bought the sushi on Tuesday. It fouled us up for the rest of the week. I buy the sushi and other items at the Japanese market, Katagiri*, which gets the prepared dishes from the Chiyoda Sushi restaurant.

The sushi is guaranteed to be fresh, and the quality is consistently tops. But shopping at Katagiri can be frustrating. Shopping carts are not permitted; aisles are cluttered with boxes; many packaged items are only identified in Japanese. Of course, that may add to the attraction of the place. It certainly is authentic.

Menu:

Special sushi set:
Tuna, Fluke, Salmon, Sweetshrimp, Mackerel, Simmered Sea Eel, Sea urchin, Salmon roe, Vinegered rice, plus 4 small California rolls
4 pieces salmon or scallop sashimi
Soba Salad (Buckwheat noodle, sesame paste, romaine lettuce, soy sauce)
Beer: Sapporo
Dessert: Fresh pineapple, raisins & nuts

My only contribution to the meal is the dipping sauce based on a recipe from Edward Behr’s magazine “the Art of Eating.”

1/2 cup mirin (sweet cooking wine)
1 cup shoyu sauce (soy)
2 oz. Katsuobushi (dried bonito fish flakes)

Pour mirin into a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.
Add shoyu and fish flakes. Turn off heat.
Let stand till the flakes sink to the bottom.
Strain liquid through cheesecloth.
Transfer to a bottle.
Stored in the refrigerator, the sauce will keep for ½ year.


*Katagiri & Co.
224 E. 59th St. (212) 755-3566
Chiyoda Sushi (212) 400-8880
http://chiyodasushi.com

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