IT DOESN'T GET ANY FRESHER!

I had the good fortune to fish the Indian Ocean off of Mozambique with my son Steve a few years ago. We lucked into a school of yellowfin tuna and the action was fast and furious, but even better than the fishing was the culinary experience afterwards- sushi/sashimi/seared five different ways.

I was reminded of this experience when The Fisherman Magazine editor, Jim Hutchinson, Jr. posted pictures of the bonito he caugt in the surf which he combined with spicy mayo, soy sauce and wasabi for a real tasty treat. Jim's fishing and culinary success got me to thinking that it was time for another culinary blog article. Whether you choose sashimi or cerviche, fresh fish can be enjoyed right on the beach or on the boat. The key is knowing what to do once you have the fish off the hook. If you've developed a love for sushi, you know that it can be an

expensive craving. Fortunately, sushi is easy to prepare, you just need to take a few precautions to make sure you prepare the fish safely.

When it comes to fish of the mid-Atlantic or Northeast coast, the firmer the flesh the better, and the primary fish of the fall run- Bonito and Striped Bass- can each be prepared for sushi. It is very important to recognize that Bonito have very strong muscles. The tougher and longer the fight to get the fish to the beach or in the boat, the worse the fish will be for sushi because of the release of lactic acid into the flesh. A long fight will result in muscle fatigue and maximum acid release which ruins the flesh. Even without a long fight, Bonito can have a very strong smell of blood. Therefore the key to freshness and taste is to immediately drain the blood, quickly butcher and chill on a good bed of ice.

Fish caught in the open ocean have a relatively low chance of parasites living underneath their skin, making them good candidates for sushi. Sushi is typically taken from the loin- the thickest, tendon free section of the fillet. Take a sharp sushi knife and carefully cut a triangular piece that measures about 1-inch by 3-inches. This piece should come from the most tender and tendon-free part of the fillet. You can use this piece for making sashimi or nigiri. For your reference, tendons look like a line running diagonally from the top of your tuna down towards the skin. To remove it, slice the piece of fish in half lengthwise, cutting down near the skin. You should also remove the skin by holding your knife parallel to the skin and sliding the knife between the skin/tendon and the meat of the fish.

Try using the bonito sushi in a rice bowl:

1. Cut 5 1/2 ounces of the bonito into bite-size slices, soak pieces in 1 1/2 Tbsp of soy sauce for 5 minutes. You can scale up this recipe depending on number of "guests"

2. Prepare your rice (about 12 oz) as you would normally cook rice.

3. Julienne perilla leaves and pickled ginger. Make sure you have roasted sesame seeds. Chop the green onion into small rounds and mix together. Amounts are as you like it to "spice up" your rice bowl

4. Take 2 Tbsp of vinegar, combine with 1 Tbsp of sugar and a dash of salt- this is known

   
   

as your sushi vinegar.

5. Quickly mix this into your freshly steamed

rice.

6. Add the perilla, pickled ginger, sesame

seeds and green onion mix into the rice

7. Add in the bonito and mix gently so it does

not break apart.

8. Add in just enough of left over soy sauce so that the rice does not change color.

9. Serve in bowls

In the Samurai culture, fish were caught using a handline. As soon as the fish was landed, its brain was pierced with a sharp spike, and the fish placed in slurry of ice. This spiking meant instantaneous death reducing the acid release. Whether samurai or surf fisherman, fresh fish just furthers the anglers ability to #LiveThePassion!

Smoked Bonito Seared Bonito Sushi Bonito