“Sanma” or Mackerel Pike usually comes on our plates with the advent of Autumn, but can be found until mid-winter in Shizuoka Prefecture
Known under other names such “Saira” or “Banjyo”, it is a fish with red meat rich with proteins.
In season, the flesh is fatty and sweet.

Its Japanese name 秋刀魚 means Autumn Sword Fish!

It is mainly caught off the north eastern shores of Japan as the fish swims down from Hokkaido.
But the more south it is caught, the less fat it will contain.
The annual catch exceeds 20,000 tonnes, although breeding is increasingly successful.
If you eat it at a sushi restaurant, you can expect its bones and head served deep-fried.

As sashimi it can be enjoyed straight with wasabi and soy sauce.
But as it is a red-flesh fish it beautifully combines with grated ginger, sliced myoga or chopped thin leeks.

As sushi it does come in many forms and can be pretty spectacular as a single sushi nigiri serving!

Another sushi nigiri sample!

In waetern Japan it is very popular as oshizushi/pressed sushi.

Another popular oshizushi version is “bo-gata/whole fish sushi”!

Bo-gata is often encountered as a sushi bento/lunch box!

As it is a very rich fish, it can be eaten simply grilled with its skin and grated daikon and lemon.

It is easy to manipulate such as the above sanma and bacon roll (later grilled)!

Of course it can be simmered Jpaanese style with soy sauce, mirin, sake and ginger!

As himono/dried fish it is practical for carrying and grilling later!

Tinned/canned it is comparatively cheap and can be accomodated in many ways, such as with kimchi!

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Just found this odd couple lying on the kitchen floor lying in unknowing bliss before being chopped into stew!
They had come form the Missus’ parents farm.

Now, why did the Missus trim that appendage?

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Shimaaji, or Striped Horsemackerel is one variety of Aji/Horsemackerel-Saurel.
Although the season is said to be in Summer, the taste varies little with the time of the year.
Striped Horsemackerel caught by anglers off the Izu Peninsula are said to be the best in Japan.
It is known under the other names of Ookami, Kose and Katsuoaji.

In English it called Striped Horsemackerel, Saurel or White Trevally.
White trevally, Pseudocaranx dentex, is a jack of the family Carangidae widespread in tropical and warm temperate areas between 40°N and 47°S, in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans. It has a deep body, and a greenish colour with metallic overtones and a dark spot above the gills. The fins are yellow.
In New Zealand, this trevally is known by the Māori as araara, and is generally confined to waters north of Cook Strait, although it sometimes reaches as far south as Otago in the summer.

It is a great fish to serve as sashimi, either in simple slices as above,

Or the whole fish as Tataki/tartare!

In Shizuoka, where the fish is usually served still alive, the bone and heads will served later deep-fired. Superb snack!

The fish is easy to manipulate to make beautig\ful maki with daikon as above!

The sushi nigiri will have photograpers on constant alert!

See what I mean?

Of course aji can be enjoyed grilled with a simple seasoning of soy sauce or ponzu!

Like most white-fleshed fish it can deep-fired in batter and breadcrumbs at home!

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Suzuki or seabass is a fish so popular with anglers all over the world that a lot of people forget it is also an extremely popular for sashimi and sushi in Japan.

“Simple” Sashimi Plate

Her the seabass was first seared before before being sliced for sashimi!

Like any other fish, it bears many names: Madaka, Hakura, Shiibasu.

In the Kanto (Eastern Japan) area, including Shizuoka Prefecture, it is called Seigo when under 25cm. At 3 years of age, when it has attained a length near 60cm, it is called Fukko or Suzuki.
In Kansai (Western Japan) it is called Seigo, Hane, and Suzuki.

A summer fish par excellence, it is caught mainly in Central and western Japan. But it is also caught in winter in Shizuoka waters.

The bigger and the older the fish, the better it is considered. After a decline in the 1980’s, catches have increased recently, reaching more than 9,300 tonnes after 2000.
It has been raised succesfully, thus replenishing stocks.
170.000 seabasses were raised in 1992!

Great as a sushi and appreciated for it natural taste. A little salt and lemon juice are enough.

As a sashimi it canbe declined in many ways such as carpaccio!

Raw, it can be combined as a simple and sublime salad with octopus for example.

Italian style as fritters combined with a salad!

Of course it is a very versatile fish you can appreciate cooked, simmered, or grilled, although it becomes fragile upon being cooked.

Grilled, Japanese style, with a aonori/seaweed coating!

Grilled on its skin and served French style!

And why not eat it simply as steamed fish?

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Taro/sato imo are a very eclectic vegetable. Like potatoes, they can be cooked with almost anything!

ere is a simple very Japanese recipe:

Taro & Chicken Stew!

INGREDIENTS: For 3~4 people

-Taro/sato imo: 400 g
-Chicken breast: 1
-Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon
-Salt: to taste

-Sugar: 2 tablespoons
-Japanese sake: 2 tablespoons
-Soy sauce: 2 tablespoons

RECIPE:

-First cut the chicken into bits-sized pieces. Marinate for a while in Japanese sajke and a little salt.

-Peel taro/sato imo and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Sprinkle with a little salt, than wash thoroughly.

-In a saucepan pour some oil (not included in above ingredients) and heat. Fry the marinated chicken until it has changed colour.

-Add the taro/sato imo. Lightly fry until the oil has covered all the taro/sato imo. Add sugar, Japanese sake and soy sauce. Bring to boil first, then lower fire to low. Cover with lid. Stew for 15~20 minutes until taro/sato imo are soft.

-Stir from time to time. When you are satisfied with the tenderness of the taro/sato imo, it is ready to serve!

-Place in a dish and eat while hot.
Decorate/season with a few sprigs or leaves.

NOTE:

-There is no need to add water.
-Season with a little sesame oil at the end!

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Ishigarei, イシガレイ、石鰈 in Japanese, is another popular flatfish/flounder in theis country. For the specialists the Englidh name is stone flounder, and its Latin name Kareus bicoloratus. Interestingly enough these fishes are commonly called flatfishes in Englis, wheeras the Jaapnese write them as “leaf Fishes”!

In Japan, depending upon the region it will be called other names, such as Ishimochi, Ishimochigarei or Shirogarei.
Their season is mainly in Summer in Hokkaido and Eastern Japan, although they might appear a lot earlier in Shizuoka.

Ishigarei is considered the best of all flounders in this country. People generally avoid to catch them during the female egg incubation, but the same egg-bearing fish are a delicacy in Tokyo.

Always choose “lively” specimens when buying them as the taste will soon deteriorate if the fish is not dressed quickly first.
If angler-friend of yours calls on the phone with one of them, don’t discuus and buy the fish!

Stone flounders make for such superlative sashimi that it becomes a bit of a waste to consume in another way.

But who would pass such a Japanese-style carpaccio?

Or an Italian Carpaccio?

Sushi lovers will appreciate it as a sushi nigiri!

A truly extravagant sushi nigiri display. Eat it quickly!

Alright, you were not lucky enough to get it absolutely fresh.
In this case simmer it the Japanese way as Ishigarei Ni (Ni stands for simmer) with soy sauce, sake, mirin and ginger!

Or do it the Italian way with olive oil and dry tomatoes!

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Margarita Pizza!

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great cleanliness
Prices: reasonable
Specialty: Real Napolitan Pizza baked on wood fire
Completely Non-smoking!

I had to come back to Venty Due and taste all their pizza on the same day/evening!
But I certainly couldn’t do it on my own and had to wait to find a friend to help me!
Finally this I could achieve last night!

As I explained before, the pizza will be on your plate within 3 minutes from the moment you order it: crusty to a perfection with all its ingredients cooked as they should be!
Why and how?
That is where “simple” becomes extravagant:
the pizza is cooked inside a real wood oven.
All wood is “nara no ki/Japanese oak” delivered all the way from Tottori Prefecture on the other side of Japan!
It takes two hours to bring the oven to the right temperature of 450 degrees Celsius, but then the pizza will come litterally smoking on your plate.

So we ordered the Margarita as a start since I had already tasted for better comparison with next two:

Marinara Pizza, with fresh tomatoes, peccorino, organo and olive oil!

Bianca, all peccorino!

The three of them quickly disappeared with a few glasses of solid Itlian red wine!

Did I say simple is best?

22 Venty Due
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajyo Machi, 3-21-20
Tel & Fax: 054-260-4522
Business hours:18:00~21:30
Closed on Sundays
Reservations advised.

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