Seared Bonito (鰹のたたき, Katsuo no Tataki)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Charcoal grill with clean rice straw for warayaki, or a very hot broiler as a stand-in
• •Long metal skewers or a wire fish basket for holding the loin over flame
• •Yanagiba (sashimi knife), or a long sharp slicing knife
• •Fine-mesh strainer for the ponzu

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the ponzu

   Put the mirin and sake in a small pan and bring them to a brief simmer for 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the shōyu, citrus juice, and rice vinegar if using, then add the konbu and katsuobushi. Steep for 20 minutes and strain without pressing. Heating the mirin and sake removes their raw edge; adding the citrus off the heat keeps its fragrance; leaving the flakes alone keeps the sauce clean.

   If you have good bottled ponzu, use it without shame. For this dish, choose one that tastes of citrus and soy, not sugar.
2. 2

   Prepare the aromatics

   Soak the sliced onion in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat it very dry. Slice the garlic, scallions, myōga, and shiso thinly, and grate the ginger just before serving. Thin cuts matter here because raw aromatics can bully the fish if they're left thick. They should scent each slice, not sit on it like a lecture.

3. 3

   Check the fish

   Keep the katsuo cold until the fire is ready. It should smell clean and faintly of the sea, with glossy flesh and no sour or sharp odor. Pat it dry all over and salt it lightly. A dry surface catches the flame quickly; a wet surface turns gray before it marks. If the fish smells strong, stop here and cook it through in another dish. Nothing hidden.

4. 4

   Prepare the heat

   For warayaki, light a charcoal grill outdoors and set a handful of clean food-grade rice straw over the hot coals when you are ready to sear. It will flare fast, so use long tongs and keep the fish close to the flame but under control. If you don't have straw, heat a grill, broiler, or dry cast-iron pan until fiercely hot. That is a stand-in, not the same fragrance, but it keeps the spirit of the method.

5. 5

   Sear the katsuo

   Lay the katsuo skin-side to the hottest heat first. With straw or grill flame, sear the skin for 20 to 30 seconds, then each cut side for 8 to 10 seconds. Under a broiler, use a preheated rack and turn the fish once; in cast iron, touch each surface to the pan and lift quickly. Stop when the skin is charred in patches and only the first millimeter of flesh has turned pale. More time gives you grilled fish, which is good, but not this dish.

   The center stays cool because the fish began cold and the heat was fierce. Gentle heat cooks too deeply before the surface has any character.
6. 6

   Rest briefly

   Set the katsuo on a rack for 2 minutes. Do not soak it for this Tosa-style version. Water dulls the straw aroma and softens the seared surface you just made. If your kitchen is very warm, chill the fish for 5 minutes uncovered, just long enough to steady it for slicing.

7. 7

   Slice it thick

   Use a yanagiba, or the longest sharp slicing knife you own, and cut the katsuo into slices about 1cm thick. Draw the knife through in one clean pull and wipe the blade between cuts. Thick slices carry both parts of the dish in one bite: singed edge and cool center. Sawing bruises the flesh. Let the knife do the seasoning.

8. 8

   Plate and dress

   Spread the drained onion in a loose line on a shallow plate and arrange the katsuo over it, slightly overlapping, with room left bare. Set garlic slices, grated ginger, scallion, myōga, and shiso over the fish. Spoon ponzu over and around, then press the aromatics lightly against the slices with clean fingertips or the back of a spoon. That gentle tapping belongs to tataki: enough to bring fish, herb, and sauce together, not enough to crush anything. Serve immediately, with extra ponzu beside it.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger one plain question: what came in today that you'd eat raw? A label alone is not enough. Katsuo is rich in blood and spoils loudly, so if the answer is vague, choose another dish.
• •Buy a skin-on loin if you can. The skin is where the flame writes its mark, and without it the dish loses some of its Tosa character. Skinless katsuo can still be seared, but pull it from the heat even faster.
• •Use clean rice straw sold for cooking or grilling, never decorative straw, garden straw, or animal bedding. Straw is the honmono fragrance here, but a hot charcoal grill or broiler is the sensible stand-in.
• •Don't drown the fish in ponzu. Spoon enough to season the slices and leave a little amber pool on the plate. The sauce should sharpen the katsuo, not wash it away.

Advance Preparation

• •The ponzu can be made one day ahead and kept refrigerated. Strain it before serving, or let the konbu and katsuobushi steep overnight for a deeper, rounder sauce.
• •Slice the onion up to 1 hour ahead and keep it drained and chilled. Slice shiso and myōga close to serving, since their fragrance fades quickly.
• •Buy and sear the katsuo the same day you serve it. Leftovers are not the point here; once sliced and dressed, the fish should be eaten at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 145g)