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.

Iwashi

Lately we have been discussing that more restaurants should do whole fish preparations, but often you run into the issue of intimidating guests. Do you fry it, steam it, take the head off? These are questions that arise as we discuss ideas. How big of a fish do we use, does seeing eyeballs scare away  interested guests? As a chef you have to play to your clientele, while still expressing yourself. What is it about seeing your food whole in this culture that scares people, while in other cultures it is a sign of care and quality? Well in our case we decided to give it a shot. We got these beautiful Sardines in from San Sebastian and tried to figure out how to make them approachable. This is how we did that.

Whole Emperor Sardine (Iwashi)

Scaled and ready to debone.

First we clip off the dorsal fin.

Then you make a cut on either side of the head and pull the head away, which in turn removes the entrails.

Head and entrails intact.

Then you remove the belly and clean out the cavity.

Then by running your finger down the spine you can separate it from the filet and essentially peel it out of the fish.

Here we removed the spine, leaving the tail fins on for presentation and to later be used as a handle for dipping.

We used a technique known as Karaage in Japanese, which basically means lightly coated in starch and deep fried. This helps to soften the small edible bones in the fish and give the fish a nice texture.

 

 The fish were skewered in a swimming motion and then coated and fried. We paired it with a small salad of Mizuna and Daikon, that was dressed in a fish sauce-lemongrass gastrique, and served it with a side of Sesame Leaf and Katsuoboshi infused soy.

Still a whole fish, but more approachable.