Last Friday my blogger friend Sissi shared the recipe of Aji-no-hiraki (Japanese Salted and Grilled Horse Mackerel) on her site With A Glass. She calls it “Scary-Looking Delicacy” and when I went to see the photo on her site, I burst into laughs while most of you probably feel horrific at the sight of this least photogenic dish (in her words).
I laughed because I actually held one post in the draft that I was reluctant to post for months, and that is today’s recipe. Living in the US for 15 years now, I barely see fish with a head being served at a restaurant and I thought this photo might possibly cause you to lose your appetite. Sissi however provided enough courage for me to post this recipe, and I even think my picture is less scary than hers…. is it?
The fish is called Shishamo (Japanese smelt) and it’s one of Japan’s delicacies and popular appetizers. Usually, it’s grilled or fried whole and served with its roe intact (komochi shishamo) in Izakaya or more traditional restaurants. We can buy Shishamo frozen at the Japanese market here in the US. While growing up I didn’t like Shishamo that much at all. My mom told me I had to eat at least one fish because they are a good source of calcium. Now I’m a mother of two and it’s ironic I’m trying to feed Shishamo to my kids. But guess what, my kids love Shishamo and they each eat 4 whole fish, and they even eat it from its head! While researching Shishamo for this post, I came across this blog and there are places in Japan that serve fresh Shishamo sushi when they are in season. My husband is already putting this on his to-do list if we visit Japan at the right time.
I know today’s recipe is not for everyone because you can’t get Shishamo. But if you live close to a Japanese supermarket and find these scary-looking delicacies, please give it a try!
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Shishamo Wrap
Ingredients
- 8 shishamo (smelt)
- 4 egg roll (harumaki) wrappers (cut in half)
- 8 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba)
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) (mix with water for "glue")
- 1 tsp water (mix with flour for "glue")
- 1 cup neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.) (for shallow frying)
For Serving
- lemon
- shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (for a spicy kick)
- ½ tsp matcha (green tea powder)
- ¼ tsp kosher or sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt) (mix with matcha)
Instructions
- Quickly rinse shishamo under running water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Cut the egg roll wrappers in half.
- Place shiso and shishamo on the egg roll wrapper as you see in the picture. Roll it up from the bottom and seal the edge with the mixture of flour and water.
- In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat. If you are new to frying, check this post.
- When it’s hot, place the shishamo wraps in the pan and fry until golden brown.
- Serve immediately and squeeze lemon before you eat. You can also serve with matcha salt and shichimi togarashi as well.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. Reheat in the oven toaster or oven till crisp and heated through.
