Akagai

Akagai is a type of Ark Shell clam that lives in incredibly murky waters. Due to its habitat it has developed in such a way that it can breath even in low oxygen situations. This adaptation is in the form of hemoglobin and myoglobin, the compounds found in human blood. This is the reason they are often called Blood Clams. In many parts of Asia they are a prized delicacy. In those parts of the world, however, due to poor water conditions and sanitation, many diseases harmful to humans can be passed on through consumption which is why it is very important to source a reliable supplier. The domestically harvested ones are completely safe to eat and are tested for any sign of disease. Farming in the United States has also virtually eliminated risks, through clean growing and harvesting practices.

The flavor of these delicacies is deep and irony with a subtle sweetness. This is highlighted in Japanese cuisine through the traditional use in nigiri sushi. It is also used pickled as we at Arami did. When pickled it is usually used in a simple salad. We used it in this way for our omakase diners as an opening course.

Here are some detailed pictures of what it looks like. We even had a surprise visit from a symbiotic crab inside one. It is clear from these pictures why it is called Blood Clam.

Uku Palu

It has been a little while since we posted last, but this gem deserves its own post.

Called Blue-green Snapper in English (Aochibiki in Japanese), this Hawaiian species of Snapper is incredibly delicate in flavor while firm in texture. It is available year round, though the peak season is summer. Uku Palu is typically caught with deep water hand line gear. It can be eaten both cooked and as sashimi. Its versatility allows it to be prepared in a variety of ways, including steaming, sauteing, frying, and stewing. 

Here you can see the translucent pink flesh and the large scales. We left the scales on while butchering because, when cooked, they lend a nice crispiness and flavor. This technique is very common in Japanese izakyas.

Above is the finished dish. We seasoned the fish with Japanese sea salt and sansho pepper then shallow fried it. The salad below consisted of shaved Napa cabbage, sesame leaf, Thai chilies, and a sesame umeboshi vinaigrette.

We would like to thank our seafood purveyor, Supreme Lobster, for providing us with such beauties as this.

For more information about this fish follow this link to the Hawaii Seafood website http://www.hawaii-seafood.org/wild-hawaii-fish/bottomfish/blue-green-snapper-uku/.

The Specials

Everyday the kitchen team is sourcing the freshest fish in Chicago. We receive fish/shellfish from the East Coast, West Coast, Hawaii, Japan, The Mediterranean, etc. Some fish are more common and some have never before been sourced in Chicago or most of the mainland United states. With these fish, we create daily specials. Sometimes more than one special will appear on our specials card. These specials are tweeted daily from our Arami twitter account and from our Sous Chef's twitter account. This blog will be used as a more in depth "tweet" in which we will post pictures and a description of the fish and/or ingredients we are using, On top of the fish specials, we run cocktail specials based on what fruit is in season or what new liquor/sake we may have discovered. Here are some photos taken by our office manager of a few of the specials we have run.