Japanese Dinner

A couple of weeks ago we decided to make sushi and gyoza at home, and have a Japanese themed dinner.  Normally, we do theme dinners, but we never ever had done a Japanese theme....mainly because I think that the thought of making sushi at home is a bit daunting!  It looks quite simple, but I know that it is the perfect balance of the rice, extra fresh fish and technique.  But we gave it a go, and it was actually quite fun!  My friend Cris prepared the rice, and she did a fantastic job.  I made the gyoza and the rolls and then the toro tuna tataki. 
I was pretty scared about the sushi, just because I have never made it in my life.  But I have eaten hundreds of times at my favorite sushi bar here in Barcelona, and have studied the sushi chefs closely.  So I put all of those memories to practice.  I remembered the part about keeping your fingers moist  so the rice won't stick to your fingers, and to press it down evenly in a semi-thin layer.  The cutting of the fish was what made me nervous.  I remember watching them slice it perfectly, discarding any bits that weren' t perfect.  But we bought our salmon form sushi restaurant purveyors in the market by my house, so freshness was guaranteed.  The actual rolling bit takes a couple of tries, but once I got the hang of it, I managed to make quite a few rolls that looked *close* to perfect!  I guess I will have to try it more than once a year to actually get the hang of it.  But, honestly, I much prefer to sit at my favorite place and watch them make it!

Here's the recipe for the gyoza, that turned out to be delicious and it is really easy.

For 20 gyoza approx:

1 package of wonton wrappers
1/2 lb ground pork or beef of a mix of both
3 scallions, chopped
1/3 cup boiled napa or chinese cabbage, sliced

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 tbsp oil

For Serving Sauce

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

Chili oil to taste

Mix all ingredients except oil in a large bowl.  Place 1/2 tbsp of filling in wonton wrapper, and with wet fingers press together to seal.  When done, heat oil over high heat in a non-stick skillet.  Place the gyoza flat side down, and brown for about 2-3 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium low, and add 1/4 cup of water and cover the skillet and steam until all the water has evaporated.

Serve with the sauce and your favorite Sake.......Kampai!!!

Fish Vizcaina Style

As our shadows get longer, and afternoons lazier, I only want to eat oven baked things or stews. Probably its because I am from Miami, and for me, even if it is 19 degrees outside, I am free-zing. As a child, we lived on an island. Even so, we really didn't eat much fish. My journey into the discovery of all things aquatic began here, in Barcelona. I never realized the amount of edible things that come out of the sea, or the enormous variety of fish. As an American, my staples were Tuna, Swordfish, Salmon, Grouper (because of my island life) Tilapia, Trout.....all very basic, and very boring. The fish aren't boring, don't get me wrong, just sticking to these types of fish is. Especially now, that we are so conscious of what we eat and if we are depleting our oceans, those type of fish are the ones that suffer the most, and I am wholly against farm raised fish. That is the good thing about Spain. We eat a large variety of fish, and the market where I go to, most of them are line caught. Mine even still had the hook in its mouth when we bought it. I love fish. It is so flavourful, so easy to cook, and ridiculously healthy. Recently I have become obsessed with fish prepared a la Vizcaina. This is a Basque preparation of fish, right before serving, they top it with a garlic-chili vinaigrette. You can do it with most fish, but I do think they can't be as strong tasting as salmon or tuna. Today we prepared Large Scale Scorpion Fish. It is similar to scorpion fish, but with bigger eyes and smaller fins. It was really different. I would say it is extremely similar in taste and texture to monkfish, so if you can find it at your local fishmonger, its a safe alternative to monkfish, which are on the endangered list.




Here is an easy recipe that is sooooo delicious. The best part is that it doesn't take long, so if you are having guests for dinner you can pop it into the oven when they get there and sit and chat with them for a while.



For 4



Two 1/2 lb large scale scorpion fish, gutted and scaled

1 large red pepper, chopped

6 shallots, cut in half

6 garlic cloves, cut in half

8 small potatoes, sliced crosswise

1 sprig of thyme, leaves separated from the stem

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup olive oil



Vizcaina Sauce

1 tsp chili flakes

1 garlic clove, peeled and whole

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 deg. In a large baking dish, place the red pepper, shallots, garlic and potatoes. Top with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, salt, pepper, and cover with foil and set in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, wash and dry your fish. Salt and pepper it on both sides, and then sprinkle your thyme leaves.

Lower the oven to 375 deg, and take out your pan with the veggies. Place the fish directly on top, add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and cover with foil again. Cook for about 15 minutes, and then uncover for the last 15.

In the meantime make the Vizcaina sauce. In a small saucepan, place your olive oil (not the extra virgin) chili flakes and garlic. Over low heat, swirl your saucepan and cook it gently for about 5-8 minutes. If you notice that your garlic is starting to burn, take the saucepan off the heat, continuing to swirl. When it is really fragrant, add the extra virgin olive oil and the vinegar, take off the heat and continue to swirl to emulsify the sauce.

When your fish is done, fillet the pieces on to a plate, add your veggies and spoon the sauce over the fish. Open up a bottle of Albarino, or another full bodied white.

I am positive you are going to love it.....Enjoy!!!