Sashimi

Sashimi (刺身) — Assorted Raw Fish with Soy, Wasabi and Daikon

Sashimi is the purest expression of Japanese seafood: a few slices of impeccably fresh fish, a dab of wasabi, a mound of shredded daikon, and good soy sauce. The dish lives or dies on ingredient quality and a sharp knife — there is nowhere to hide.

Prep

30 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) sashimi-grade tuna (maguro), sashimi- or sushi-grade, from a trusted fishmonger; see parasite-freezing note below
• •300 g (10½ oz) sashimi-grade salmon (sake), sashimi- or sushi-grade; previously frozen to destroy parasites — see step
• •200 g (7 oz) sashimi-grade white fish (e.g. yellowtail/hamachi or sea bass), sashimi- or sushi-grade
• •60 g (2 oz) daikon radish, for the tsuma garnish
• •20 g (¾ oz) fresh wasabi rhizome, freshly grated preferred; tube wasabi is a home-kitchen substitute
• •80 ml (⅓ cup) Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), or null
• •1 sheet nori (optional), thinly shredded, for colour and aroma
• •1 sprig shiso leaf (optional), per plate, or substitute with a small lettuce leaf
• •flaky sea salt, to taste, optional, for fatty fish
• •sliced scallion and grated ginger (optional), to taste, optional accompaniments

Steps

1. 1 FOOD SAFETY (mandatory): All fish for raw service must be sushi/sashimi grade. For parasite destruction, freeze fish at -20°C (-4°F) or below for 7 days, or -35°C (-31°F) for 15 hours, before serving raw. Skip only if your supplier can document equivalent parasite-control treatment. Keep fish at 0–4°C (32–39°F) until ready to slice.
2. 2 Prepare the tsuma: peel the daikon and grate it on the fine holes of a box grater, or cut into very fine julienne. Rinse briefly under cold water and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture. Pile in a small mound on each of 4 plates; tuck a shiso leaf beside it if using.
3. 3 Prepare wasabi: if using fresh rhizome, grate in small circular motions on a Microplane or sharkskin grater until a smooth paste forms. If using tube wasabi, mix a small amount with a drop of water to a stiff paste.
4. 4 Cut a slice from each block of fish about 2 cm (¾ in) thick — this is your working piece. Keep the rest refrigerated.
5. 5 With a very sharp, long, thin-bladed knife (yanagiba or slicing knife), slice the tuna across the grain into pieces about 5 mm (¼ in) thick, 4–5 cm (1½–2 in) wide and 7–8 cm (3 in) long. Slice salmon on a slight diagonal, again about 5 mm thick. Slice white fish similarly, against the grain.
6. 6 Wipe and rinse the blade between each cut, and between species, to keep slices clean and free of skin or membrane fragments. Do not saw — use one smooth drawing motion per slice.
7. 7 Arrange 3–5 slices of each fish on each plate, fanned or lined up neatly. Place a small dab (about ¼ tsp) of wasabi on or beside each portion.
8. 8 Serve immediately, with soy sauce in a small dish for dipping, and optional salt, scallion and ginger on the side. Encourage diners to dip the fish side (not the rice — there is none) into the soy, and not to soak it; the daikon is eaten between bites as a palate cleanser.