White King Salmon Katsu with Japanese Tartar & Caviar Waterfall
This dish has been mercolating in my mind since the moment Pasadena-based Astrea Caviar generously gifted me a tin of their aged oscietra caviar to play with.
A smokey, crispy, katsu-fied hunk of Wildfish Cannery’s extra special White King Salmon sits atop a sweet and sour Japanese Tartar sauce made from fresh sunomono, Kewpie mayo, lemon, sugar, dill, scallion, and generous kick of togarashi. The caviar adds an extra layer of cured, umami brilliance that’ll have you licking your plate in 30 seconds flat. Crunchy, creamy, balanced and bright, with a kiss of heat toward the end… this one is cod-damned delicious 🐟
Tingredients:
• 1 tin Wildfish Cannery Smoked White King Salmon
• 1 30g tin Astrea Caviar Oscietra Hybrid Caviar
• egg, beaten
• 2 tbs AP flour
• 4 tbs panko
• ½ cup mayo
• ½ cup sunomo pickles, minced
• 1 tbs dill, minced
• 1 scallion, white part, split & minced
• 1 tsp togarashi plus more for taste
• ½ tsp white sugar
• ¼ tsp lemon juice
• pinch sea salt
• 2 cups neutral oil for frying
• 2 whole chives for plating (optional)
Open the Wildfish Cannery smoked salmon and ogle its beauty. The fish is very delicate and may break apart when you attempt to remove it from the tin. I like to invert it on a plate to make things easier. Once there, taste a tiny nibble and try not to keel over in fishbelief. Gently separate the two largest pieces from each other and transfer them to a parchment-lined sheet or plate and loosely cover them with plastic wrap. Move to the freezer to chill and firm up a little but do not freeze (about 30 minutes).
Meanwhile, make your tartar sauce by mixing the mayo, sunomono, dill, scallion, furikake, salt, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir well. Taste. Set aside covered in the fridge to let flavors meld and so as to not drink it all straight from the bowl.
Heat oil in shallow cast iron skillet (I used a 10-inch). Remove your fish from the freezer and dredge in flour, then egg, then finally panko. Gingerly lower into hot oil and fry until panko is a chestnut golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and repeat. Remove from oil and drain on a rack or paper towels.
Spoon a generous amount of sauce on your favorite plate, followed by the katsu, then half the tin’s caviar, and finally a single chive. Serve immediately.
Canjoy!
Makes 2 plates
