Japanese

Hamachi Crudo · Yuzu Kosho · Shiso Oil

Hamachi is kanpachi's fattier, bolder cousin. Where kanpachi is clean and citrus-friendly, hamachi wants more — the belly-fat of winter yellowtail needs a condiment that punches back. Yuzu kosho (the fermented chile-citrus-salt paste from Kyushu) gives it heat and acid in one move; shiso oil laid beneath the slices gives it a cooling grass-anise note at the finish. Five minutes of plating. Four ingredients. The kind of dish that reads simple and tastes tactical.

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Starter · Crudo · Amuse · Shareable
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Hamachi — Yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata), sashimi-grade
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4 starter / 2 mains
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15 min + 8 h optional mature

The Other Yellowtail

If kanpachi is the Pacific amberjack that runs clean and firm and responds beautifully to ponzu, hamachi is its colder-water, fattier cousin. Both are in the Seriola genus. Both are sushi-counter staples. Both are sashimi-grade from trusted sources. But the fish are structurally different, and a crudo designed for one will under-serve the other. Hamachi has markedly more belly fat. Its flesh runs paler than kanpachi's. It eats richer, cleaner, sweeter. And it handles stronger condiments — in fact, it rewards them.

The conventional hamachi crudo at every modern-Japanese restaurant in the US is jalapeño + yuzu ponzu + cilantro. It works. But it reads as "generic-modern-Japanese-crossover" by now, not house signature. This recipe replaces the jalapeño with yuzu kosho — a paste from Kyushu made from green yuzu zest, green chiles, and salt, aged for two to four weeks until the chile heat softens into something almost citrus-floral. The ponzu becomes a lean dressing of rice vinegar + light soy + yuzu juice. And the cilantro is gone entirely; in its place, shiso oil — blanched-shocked-blended green shiso in Arbequina EVOO, laid beneath the fish as a visual + flavor base layer.

The structural difference from kanpachi-crudo ✅: that recipe dresses on top (ponzu + shiso leaf + yuzu zest + EVOO drizzle finish). This one bases underneath (shiso oil pool, fish slices draped over, yuzu kosho dotted per slice, finishing salt). The construction is different, the flavor register is different, and the two dishes read as siblings rather than competitors when served in the same menu.

Sourcing is the critical variable. Hamachi sashimi-grade means flash-frozen at -60 °C within hours of catch. Tier A uses California-farmed hamachi from Whole Foods or Catalina Offshore — serviceable, consistent, cleanly-handled. Tier B uses kanburi — the winter-peak (December-January) wild hamachi from Toyama Bay, imported via Honolulu Fish Co or specialty Japan-direct channels. The kanburi belly-fat ratio runs 30-40% higher than farmed; the flesh is denser, sweeter, almost-dairy in the mouth. Reserve kanburi for a dinner that earns it.

Ingredients

for 4 starter / 2 mains

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Everyday

The Fish

300 g sashimi-grade hamachi — Catalina Offshore Products Hiramasa Kingfish (farmed Australian, closest widely-available grocery substitute; see sourcing/03-seafood) or Whole Foods Brickell when their fish counter has sashimi-grade yellowtail. Ask for flash-frozen at -60 °C documentation. A 300 g loin cut is ideal.

The Yuzu Kosho

4-6 g (1/2 tsp) green yuzu kosho — S&B Green Yuzu Kosho or Yuzukoshō (unbranded) at Momi Market Miami, Kimchi Mart, or Whole Foods Brickell Japanese section (see sourcing/05-japanese-pantry). Green is the green-chile variant; red is the red-chile variant (also works, brighter heat). Both are fine.

The Shiso Oil

20 g (~3 tbsp) Arbequina EVOO — California Olive Ranch Arbequina (Whole Foods).
6-8 fresh green shiso leaves — windowsill pot (best; 60-day grow from seed) OR Momi Market leaf clamshell OR microgreen shiso from Whole Foods produce (see sourcing/24-recipe-gaps-patch §1 shiso).

The Ponzu (quick mix)

10 g usukuchi shoyu (light Japanese soy sauce) — Kikkoman Usukuchi or Yamaroku.
8 g yuzu juice (bottled acceptable; fresh ideal Dec-Feb) — Yakami Orchard Yuzu Juice (via Market Hall Foods).
5 g rice vinegar — Mizkan Genuine Brewed.

The Finish

Maldon flaky salt — 4-6 flakes per plate, added 5 seconds before service.

No Limits

The Fish (Tier B)

300 g Kanburi (winter wild hamachi, Toyama Bay) — pre-order via Honolulu Fish Co or specialty Japan-direct importer in early December (see sourcing/03-seafood §Kanpachi/Hamachi). Window: mid-Dec through late Jan. The belly-fat ratio and flesh density of kanburi run 30-40% above farmed — the dish transforms.
Alternative: Japan-direct sashimi-grade hamachi via Mutual Trading or Japanese Pantry when Toyama is out of season. Less specific but still Japan-wild.

The Yuzu Kosho (Tier B)

4-6 g Artisan Kyushu yuzu kosho — Yakami Orchard (via Market Hall Foods, their yuzu program source). Small-producer, single-farm, no preservatives. Aromatic complexity and heat-floral balance run clearly above grocery S&B. Stored at 4 °C in a jar, keeps 6 months.

The Shiso Oil (Tier B)

20 g Rincón de la Subbética summit EVOO — the Spanish-EVOO summit (see sourcing/11-oils-vinegars). Slightly peppery-fruity Arbequina; the complexity survives and amplifies the shiso infusion.
6-8 fresh home-grown shiso leaves — Perilla frutescens seedlings from Kitazawa Seed + 60 days growing on Pablo's windowsill (recommended permanent pantry). Fresh-plucked shiso 30 minutes before use beats any other sourcing option; Miami zone 10b year-round growth.

The Ponzu (Tier B)

10 g Yamaroku 4-Year Kioke-Aged Shoyu (via The Japanese Pantry; see sourcing/05-japanese-pantry) — the 4-year barrel-aged umami-dense Japanese shoyu summit.
8 g Fresh yuzu juice (Dec-Feb only) — squeezed from a fresh yuzu purchased via specialty Japanese importer. Out of season, return to Yakami Orchard bottled.
5 g Iio Jozo Fujisu 120-year-aged Kyoto rice vinegar (via Market Hall Foods).

Mise en Place

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Fish in fridge at 2 °C until 5 min before service. Warm plates are the enemy.
Shiso leaves washed, dried, picked (remove any stems), 6-8 leaves per 20 g oil.
Ice water bowl ready at stovetop for shocking.
Ponzu pre-mixed: 10 g shoyu + 8 g yuzu juice + 5 g rice vinegar in a small cup. Room temp OK.
Yuzu kosho weighed (4-6 g per plate in a small ramekin) at station.
Plates chilled in fridge (they'll need to support fish at 2-4 °C for 2 min service).
All knives sharp. Board clean.

Method

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Phase 1 · Shiso Oil — 15 min (pre-prep; make ahead up to 5 days)

Bring small saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Have ice water bowl ready at stove.

Blanch shiso leaves (6-8 leaves) in boiling water for exactly 10 seconds — until they turn vibrant green and go slightly limp.

Immediately transfer with tongs or slotted spoon to ice water bath. Shock for 30 seconds — this preserves the chlorophyll.

Drain leaves. Squeeze dry between paper towels (get as much water out as possible; excess water breaks the oil emulsion).

In a blender (Vitamix ideal, countertop acceptable), combine the drained leaves + 20 g EVOO. Blend at high speed for 2 minutes — the temperature will rise to 60-75 °C from friction, which is the target (warm-extracts chlorophyll without cooking it).

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small container. Discard leaf solids or compost.

The oil should be a vibrant radioactive-green. Transfer to a small squeeze bottle. Refrigerate up to 5 days; warms to room temp before service.

Phase 2 · Slicing the Fish — 5 min

Remove fish from fridge 10 min before slicing (NOT room temp — just slightly above fridge-cold, around 5 °C, for clean knife work).

Place loin on cutting board with the grain running horizontal. Identify the grain direction (lines running along the length of the loin).

With a sharp sashimi knife (or chef's knife): hold at a 15° angle to the board, pull in a SINGLE STROKE from heel to tip, cutting 4-5 mm thick slices. Never saw back and forth.

Each slice should be AGAINST the grain (the lines inside the slice should run perpendicular to the cut edge).

Arrange slices on a cold plate held in fridge as you work. Keep fish temperature at 4-6 °C throughout.

Yield: 18-24 slices from a 300 g loin (roughly 4-5 slices per plate for 4 servings, or 6-7 for 4 generous starter portions).

Phase 3 · Plating — 90 seconds

Retrieve chilled plate from fridge.

Using the squeeze bottle, lay a thin pool of shiso oil in a circular or elliptical shape, covering about 60% of the plate surface. The pool should be 2-3 mm deep — generous but not flooded.

Drape fish slices over the oil, overlapping slightly, in a roughly radial pattern. 4-6 slices per plate. Do NOT push the slices into the oil — let them rest on the surface. The oil will pool visibly around the edges of each slice.

With a small demitasse spoon, place 6-8 dots of yuzu kosho across the plate — roughly one dot per slice or on alternate slices. Each dot is ~0.5 g. Dot carefully; yuzu kosho is vibrant green and the visual contrast against the pink fish is part of the plating.

Drizzle 5-8 g pre-mixed ponzu across the plate in thin streaks (not pools). The ponzu should glaze, not puddle.

Finish with 4-6 flakes of Maldon salt scattered across the top.

Serve immediately — the plate is timed for eating within 2 minutes of leaving the kitchen.

Timeline

T−45m Make shiso oil (blanch-shock-blend, see Phase 1).
T−30m Pre-mix ponzu. Chill plates.
T−15m Remove fish from fridge (stays cold enough in air for 15 min).
T−10m Slice fish (see Phase 2). Hold sliced slices in fridge on a cold plate until plating.
T−2m Plate: shiso oil pool first, fish slices draped over, yuzu kosho dots, ponzu drizzle, Maldon.
T+0m Serve immediately — eat within 2 min of plating.