Introduction: Many people enjoy fresh salmon sashimi, but to make delicious salmon sashimi, you need to pay attention to these things!
The knife is important
When making sashimi, it is recommended to use a special sashimi knife. If you don't have one, you can choose a knife used in Western cuisine or a common meat knife at home. The thinner and sharper the knife, the better, as this will protect the original shape, fiber structure, and the flavor of the ingredient itself during cutting.
Cutting technique matters
The Norwegian salmon bought from the supermarket is usually a processed salmon fillet. Place the salmon on a cutting board and use a knife to remove the skin. Gently stroke the cut surface of the skinless salmon with your hand; if there are any pin bones, you can gently pull them out with tweezers or small scissors. The remaining salmon fillet should be cut with different techniques depending on the part. The flesh on the back is slightly firm and should be cut vertically, while the belly is soft and should be cut at an angle. During the cutting process, be sure to cut in one single motion.
Quality ingredients
To make delicious sashimi at home, how can you create a satisfying dish without quality ingredients? Norwegian salmon, known as the "King of the Icy Ocean," is undoubtedly the top choice for making sashimi. Because Norway is close to the Arctic Circle, the seawater is cold, pure, and unpolluted, and the delicate texture and reliable quality of Norwegian salmon are often synonymous with excellent quality. So how to choose fresh Norwegian salmon? Mainly from the following three points:
1. Choose to buy Norwegian salmon from large supermarkets.
2. Check the manufacturer and seller information on the packaging. Note that each Norwegian salmon is traceable, and you can verify the product's origin information with the sales staff.
3. Fresh Norwegian salmon has orange-red, vibrant flesh, firm texture, and smooth skin. The fat distribution is like marble with clearly visible white stripes, and it will quickly rebound when pressed with your fingertips.
The art of preparation
When you have a whole fresh Norwegian salmon in front of you, do not wash it with water. Because Norwegian salmon grows in cold seawater, it is very rich in fish oil. The more you wash it with water, the more oil will be secreted. The correct way to handle it is to gently blot the surface of the Norwegian salmon with kitchen paper towels to absorb the oil.
Thin or thick?
The thickness of sashimi should be convenient to chew and delicious. The "delicious" here has two meanings: one is that it is easy to eat, and the other is that the thickness of the fish slice can fully reflect the best flavor of the fish. Generally, the fish slice is about 5mm thick, commonly known as the thickness of two coins. This thickness is not greasy when eaten, and you can feel the fullness of the meat.
Fresh presentation
There are many ways to serve salmon sashimi, such as flat arrangement, square arrangement, thin slice arrangement, and decorative arrangement. The number of ingredients is served in odd numbers, such as three, five, or seven, which is the most characteristic serving method for sashimi. When serving sashimi dishes, the ingredients should feel cool. You can start with a base of crushed ice, cover it with plastic wrap, and then place the raw fish slices on top.
Accompanying sauces
When eating salmon sashimi, everyone uses wasabi and soy sauce. The spicy taste of wasabi helps to enhance the flavor and whet the appetite, while soy sauce provides saltiness and umami to harmonize the overall deliciousness. In fact, Japanese soy sauce has two types: dark (koikuchi) and light (usukuchi), just as Chinese soy sauce has the distinction of light (sheng chou) and dark (lao chou). Therefore, when pairing it with sashimi, it is best to choose according to the ingredients used and your own taste preference. In addition, squeezing a little fresh lemon juice can also easily achieve the effect of enhancing freshness.
How to store
To ensure the fresh taste of Norwegian salmon, fresh salmon should be stored at 0 to 4 degrees Celsius. If the Norwegian salmon purchased on the same day is not finished, it can be directly refrigerated in the freezer, and the temperature must be controlled at -18 degrees Celsius or below. The storage time in the freezer should not exceed one day.