Dec. 23, 2009 - Issue #740: Wyld December
ALAN MCDOUGALL
Alan's early inspirations were from his grandfather, who was an avid fisherman and gave him a great respect for fresh fish. Slicing sushi and balancing the esthetics of Japanese cuisine is not to be taken lightly. His love for this art form began with Vancouver's plentiful stock of sushi bars. So how can you overcome being land locked in a prairie town?
"We get our fish flown in from all over the world, sometimes overnight. It arrives whole as a complete colourful fish. Really fresh fish has no odour at all. Sushi-grade fish is the freshest of all. This also depends on the fat content and which area of the ocean it was caught in—it is seasonal in that way. So I suggest you request to know what special things we have on hand."
Speaking of seasonal, he tells me the cold waters of winter and spring yield really high-quality tuna and shellfish as the meat becomes heavy and rich. Alternatively, early summer inspires him to work with baby greens and radishes as accessories. "Simplicity is the soul of Japanese cuisine; it is very appealing to the eye as well as the palette. Even the cooking methods are simplified to enhance the natural flavours, such as lightly grilled and steamed. This keeps it fresh and elegant." This all might seem modern to the consumer but the nigiri style (single slab of fish on rice) is over 120 years old, invented in Tokyo to serve as fast food to a busy population. Their in-house pickled mackerel is a wonderful dish and it has a lot of history to it, in fact this technique is nearly 2000 years old. Chinese fishing vessels would preserve their fish by fermenting it in uncooked rice and vinegar. They would dispose of the rice, but eventually got industrious enough to cook it and sushi has evolved from this process.
Realizing pickled fish might be an acquired flavour I can't wait to find out what could be the strangest thing he's eaten? "Two things come to mind, one was a live lobster in Vancouver. The chef comes to the table with the whole live lobster, boldly snaps off the tail and slices it up as the tentacles and head are still moving. The other is more standard in Japan, steamed ankimo, which is monk fish liver. It has a starchy flavour and texture."
I start to giggle when he places a beautiful customized plate of sushi in front of me, because I knew I was going to have to step out of my comfort zone. Luckily nothing was alive. I learned from our chef, not to make a green puddle of wasabi and soy sauce, one should enjoy them separately. I went straight for the unknown; the octopus was mild and tender, apparently steamed, not to be eaten raw. Then the raw quail's egg yoke on a bed of fish roe was silky and yummy and the raw scallop had that fresh sea water flavour, a little stronger then the velvety flavour and texture of the tuna variety. My ultimate Survivor challenge was the raw shrimp; it was a strange feeling on the tongue as it seemed to disappear by itself. But the pickled ginger cleared the palate for more giggles. One quickly realizes that Japanese Village has fun on the menu. V
Alan McDougall
Japanese Village
10238 - 104 St, 780.761.2449
Nitsume Glaze Recipe
(sweet soy sauce)
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup mirin (sweetened rice sake)
1\2 cup sliced fresh ginger root
1 tsp salt
2\3 cup of sugar
At a low heat, mix together soy, mirin, and ginger. Once it starts to steam whisk in the sugar and salt. Simmer on low for one hour; stir regularly as sugar should not burn. Allow to cool overnight at room temperature, then strain ginger out. Glaze over broiled or baked eel, chicken, fish or duck.
More info about Japanese Village (104 Street) →
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