Sashimi of Fluke with Sweet Shrimp

Name: Sashimi of Fluke with Sweet Shrimp
Ingredients: 16 very thin slices sashimi-grade fluke , each about 2½-inches long and 1 inch wide; 32 sprigs cilantro; Thirty-two 1½-inch-long pieces fresh chives; 24 small (30 count) sweet shrimp or regular shrimp, shelled, deveined, cooked, and chilled; 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla); 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice; Sambal olek or red Thai or Vietnamese chili sauce to taste

Contributors

Cookbook

Taste Pure and Simple

Published by Chronicle

View

This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Other than foraged foods, ocean-caught wild fish are the only truly natural, organic food available in our changing world. Most super-fresh ocean fish can be eaten raw, which I think is the best representation of their flavor. When I moved to the East Coast, I discovered fluke and it quickly became one of my favorites. Fish love the sharpness of citrus, which is why I serve this with a sauce spiked with fresh lime juice. I always try to make this with the small, sweet shrimp called ama ebi. These tiny cold-water shrimp, best eaten raw, melt in your mouth with amazing sweetness-hence their nickname, "sweet shrimp." You can find them in Japanese markets, usually frozen. I fondly recall a drift-boat fishing trip with friends. I boarded the boat wearing a tool belt equipped with sharp knives, a canister of sea salt, and squeeze bottles filled with lemon juice, soy sauce, and wasabi. My fellow passengers thought I was nuts-until I started slicing and seasoning the various fish we caught! Did I mention that I had some chilled sake, too?

Serves4

CostModerate

Easy

Total Timeunder 15 minutes

OccasionCocktail Party, Formal Dinner Party

Recipe Courseappetizer, hors d'oeuvre, tapas/small plates

Dietary Considerationdiabetic, egg-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, low calorie, low carb, peanut free, tree nut free

Mealdinner

Taste and Textureherby, hot & spicy, light, tangy, tart

Ingredients

16 very thin slices sashimi-grade fluke, each about 2½-inches long and 1 inch wide
32 sprigs cilantro
Thirty-two 1½-inch-long pieces fresh chives
24 small (30 count) sweet shrimp or regular shrimp, shelled, deveined, cooked, and chilled
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Sambal olek or red Thai or Vietnamese chili sauce to taste

Instructions

Lay the slices of fish on a work surface. Lay 2 cilantro sprigs and 2 chive pieces on each slice and roll so that the tops of the herbs extend from one end.
Stand the rolls on end on a chilled plate and arrange the shrimp along with them.
Combine the fish sauce and lime juice in a small ramekin or sauce dish. Stir in chili sauce to make the sauce as spicy as you like.