Hi, I’m Francis,
the host of this show "Cooking with Dog."
Today, we will be making Katsuo Tataki using sashimi-grade bonito and lots of aromatic vegetables.
This is a local dish in Kochi Prefecture.
First, let’s sear the katsuo, sashimi-grade bonito.
Place a broiling rack in a tray and put the fillet on it.
Sear the skin thoroughly with the kitchen torch.
This will help to make it nice and crispy.
Traditionally, real Katsuo Tataki is seared over straw fire.
For home cooking, pan-frying is often used
but searing the fish with direct heat
will really bring out the aroma of the katsuo.
Flip it over and lightly roast the other sides
until the surface begins to turn white.
Next, combine the soy sauce,
vinegar,
lemon juice,
dashi stock
and grated ginger root,
and mix the sauce.
Now, let’s cut the vegetables.
Remove the stem of the shiso leaves
and cut them in half lengthwise.
Arrange the shiso leaves around the edge of a plate.
Remove the root part of the new onion,
also known as a young onion.
Thinly slice it along the grain.
Then, distribute the onion around the center of the plate.
Place the katsuo on a cutting board
with the skin side facing up
and the thinner side facing you.
Gently pulling the knife toward you,
slice the katsuo into 1cm or half inch slices.
Now, place the slices onto the sliced onions.
Distribute the garlic slices onto the katsuo
and sprinkle on the chopped spring onion leaves.
Pour the sauce over it.
Then, gently press the katsuo with a rice paddle
to help it absorb the sauce.
Add the onion,
spring onion leaves
and garlic.
Pour a generous amount of the sauce again.
Finally, wrap the plate with plastic wrap
and let it sit in the fridge to cool.
Chilling the katsuo tataki in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour
will help it absorb the sauce, making the dish more delicious!
Lots of aromatic vegetables will bring out the flavor of the Katsuo Tataki.
Broiling the katsuo will give it a smoky aroma
and also reduce the excess water in the fillet,
improving the texture and the flavor of the meat.
Good luck in the kitchen.