Black Sesame Seared Tuna

27Oct09

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My daughter is visiting again, and she loves tuna, so of course I had to make this unique seared tuna for her. There are hundreds of recipes for seared tuna, ample evidence how popular Japanese food is in the U.S. But this recipe is special because it uses crushed black sesame seeds. The fish is marinated and coated with black sesame seeds, then flour, and finally quickly deep-fried. The black and pink make a striking appearance, and the deep fried crisp coating makes a lovely contrast with the succulent tuna.

Filed under: Agemono, Deep-Frying, Fish and Seafood, Japanese Food, Salads, Dressings, and Sauces   |  2 Comments
Tags: maguro, tuna

Harumaki: Vegetable Spring Rolls

21Oct09

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Harumaki are Japanese spring rolls, another favorite adapted from China. Some versions of these rolls have pork, shrimp, or tofu in the filling. One can even use leftovers from stir-fries! And even more unusual are the recipes which include bananas, chocolate, or candy bars! And then the issue of wheat or rice flour wrappers? Chinese [...]

Filed under: Agemono, Deep-Frying, Grilling and Pan-Frying, Japanese Food, Vegetables, Yakimono   |  4 Comments
Tags: spring rolls

Crisp Rolled Chicken: Tori no Maki-age

26Sep09

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Save this dish for a special occasion! Tastefully presented with colorful and edible embellishments, it is elegant and delicious. Though it is not difficult to make, it’s not a recipe that can be prepared in haste. Chicken breasts are pounded thin, painted with a miso mirin mixture, covered with shiso leaves and bacon, then rolled, [...]

Filed under: Agemono, Deep-Frying, Poultry, chicken   |  1 Comment
Tags: shiso

Fried Ginger-Flavored Salmon

16Sep09

http://1tess.wordpress.comNote to self: Buy an new thermometer. Oh, and maybe spend more than $5.
I’d prepared the fish and started to heat the oil for frying when I noticed the little red line on my thermometer was no longer solid, but dashed.
-– -—- – ——- – –—- – ——- – -––––— ——— – — —— ———- – -––––—––— ———
Luckily, one can check the temperature of oil without a thermometer. There are two methods:
Submerge the tips of cooking chopsticks (they are long enough that you won’t burn yourself) in the oil.
Drop a small amount of a flour-water batter into the hot oil.
Details included.

Filed under: Agemono, Deep-Frying, Fish and Seafood, Japanese Food   |  6 Comments
Tags: salmon

Sesame-Crusted Seared Tuna

06May09

Recipes for seared tuna are very plentiful online: page after page, but this recipe is unique! The black sesame seeds for the coating are toasted and lightly crushed to release maximum flavor. They are added to the marinade to absorb even more flavor. The fish is coated with both the sesame seeds and a little flour, then deep-fried—a technique that ensures maximum crispness on the outside, and tender nearly uncooked tuna inside. Very luscious. You’ll note that my pictures to illustrate the recipe did not turn out well at all, and the good news is that I’ll have to make this dish again to show off how amazingly wonderful it is.

Filed under: Agemono, Deep-Frying, Fish and Seafood, Japanese Food   |  2 Comments
Tags: Japanese Cooking, maguro, sesame seeds, tuna