Bonito sashimi with leeks
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Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Lb Bonito, skin removed, deboned and filleted in four clean pieces.
  • 1 Large leek
  • 1 Ginger bulb 4-5 inches long
  • Pickling marinade
  • 1 Tbs. tamari
  • 2 Tbs sake
  • 1 tsp. mirin
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbs. sugar
  • 3 Tbs. rice vinegar
Instructions
  1. Combine the pickling ingredients in a small pan. Heat up while stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Let come to a boil (to evaporate some of the alcohol) and let cool.
  2. Cut the top and tail of the leeks leaving off any green section
  3. Make a longitudinal cut and wash them carefully to get rid of any dirt between the leaves
  4. Cut the leeks in very thin strips of regular size (matchsticks)
  5. Cut the ginger piece in half and cut one half again in two pieces
  6. Peel one of the quarters and cut it into very thin slices
  7. Cut lengthwise in thin strips of the same size as the leeks (look at the picture in the post)
  8. Place the vegetables in a zip bag, lay it down flat on a plate, and put another plate on top. Weigh down with a weight on top of the upper plate. Let marinade in the refrigerator between 3-5 hours
  9. Check the bonito fillets for bones or skin pieces and remove them if necessary
  10. Cut the filets in 5 inch long by ½ inch slices. Make ½ inch by ½ inch strips as shown in the picture.
  11. Arrange the bonito with the vegetables on top and season with the pickling marinade.
Culinary Tips
The amount of ginger in the recipe can be adjusted to your preference. The contrast leek-ginger is essential but you may want to minimize the presence of ginger if you find it too strong.
The instant pickling time should be 3-5 hours but not more that 8 hours as vegs will turn quite sour. Eat the within 24 hours for freshness.
Make sure bonito is really fresh and be very careful about removing all bones before preparing the sashimi slices.
Recipe by The Quotidian Cook at https://www.thequotidiancook.com/en/bonito-sashimi-with-leeks/