I caught one of these a few days before Valentines Day.
Step 1.
Like some of you, share the same dislike of frozen yellowtail. I eat pound after pound of fresh and raw and smoke the rest to be eaten and/or frozen for later. Frozen smoked yellowtail is still great afterward.
For sushi, I like sashimi but do enjoy a dalop of sushi rice. For novices like myself, the rice can be challenging. I found a few tips of making sushi rice online. The most important info I found was to ensure you wash the rice until the water is clear. Cook the rice. But then mix a tablespoon or so of some white sugar, a few pinches of salt, and 1/3 cup rice vinegar in a heated pot then pour it over the rice and mix it all in.
-To keep rice from sticking to your hands, dip them in a bowl of water and rice vinegar.
For spicy yellowtail rolls--I use 1/2cup japanese mayo, add siracha and lemon to taste. Then mix in the meat.
This is a favorite of mine: Panko/Sesame/Coconut Seared Yellowtail taco with avocado cream sauce.
-Cut some steaks about 3/4-1 inch thick.
-In a bowl mix 2 cups panko, 1 tablespoon sesame, and small handfull of coconut flakes.
-spread the mix over a cutting board.
-sprinkle sea salt over the steaks then coat press both sides of the steak
- with the mix on the cutting board
On a cast iron skillet, heat to med-high and place enough peanut oil to cover the surface. Then add the steaks. 1 minute each side.
For the avo-cream sauce, I use a food processor.
1 large whole avocado
1/3 cup mexican cream
1 steam green onion
small handful of cilantro.
Yum.
Smoked Yellowtail.
Its all in the brine!
-2 cups water
-2 cups apple juice
-1 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup salt
-1/2 cup honey
-1/2 cup soy
-2 tbls molasses
-2 tbls thai chili mix/jam
-2 tbls ground ginger
Heat all of the items up, then cool and place in a ceramic bowl with the yellowtail. I recommend overnight. or vacuum seal it for 2 hours.
Dried for 3 hours. I recommend a cool dark place that has some circulation (garage)
*Form a nice pellicle!!
Smoke at 170 degrees for 100 minutes. I like to use apple wood.
Eat it for days, make a dip from it, put in pesto pasta....possiblities are endless.
