Last update - 00:00 10/08/2007
Catch you on the raw
By Doram Gaunt
Fresh fish need minimal treatment to become a delicacy. Their tender, delicate flesh dries up quickly when overcooked and their flavor easily gets lost with too much seasoning or too many culinary additions. When you obtain fresh fish, the basic rule is to give them the respect that they deserve and not to try to do too much. The freshest fish (not all of them, only the suitable kinds - see box below), the ones that come to the table no more than 24 hours after they were swimming in the sea, are most wonderful eaten without being heated at all.
At the start of the heating process, in every form of cooking, the delicate taste of fish gets stronger and volatile molecules emanate and spread a strong smell. Later on in the cooking a reaction occurs that dulls the flavors of the fish and toughens its flesh, and when the flesh approaches the temperature of 60 degrees Celsius this process also causes a loss of moisture and the fish dries out.
Unheated, the flesh of fresh fish retains a soft, delicate and special texture and refreshing, fresh sweet flavors. In a minority of cases, fish that has not been cooked is eaten completely raw (sushi, sashimi). In other cases the fish is "cooked" by a brief exposure to an acidic liquid (seviche, kinilau, fish carpaccio) or by curing in salt and/or sugar (herring, anchovies, sardines, gravad lax). Marinating in citrus juices, vinegar or salt makes the flesh of the fish opaque and firm, and hardens it slightly but preserves its natural texture and flavor while also keeping its juiciness.
The main problem with eating fish that hasn't been cooked by heat is the danger that disease-bearing bacteria and parasites will develop. The danger increases as the fish becomes less fresh; freshwater fish are more vulnerable to bacteria than saltwater fish.
Beyond the use of fish that is as fresh as possible, it is a good idea to minimize the exposure to contamination. It is thus essential to work on clean surfaces, to minimize the amount of time that the fish is not refrigerated and to complete the preparations quickly. Special laws in the United States require the deep-freezing of fish intended for consumption without cooking for at least 15 hours in order to destroy contaminants that might be present in the fish. Exempt from this requirement is tuna that is intended for sushi, which is less susceptible to contamination (but most tuna is frozen on the ships in order to enable the fishermen to spend several days at sea without the fish getting spoiled).
Seviche of sea bream and mango with basil
Both Peru and Chile claim credit of the invention of the wonderful technique of the seviche - using cubes of raw fish that have been marinated briefly in citrus juices, usually with the addition of onion and chili, alongside corn on the cob and baked sweet potatoes. In many places in the world similar dishes of pickled fish are served, but seviche remains one of the most famous of them.
Ingredients (serves four):
4 fresh fillets (from two fish) of gilt-head sea bream, each weighing 130-150 grams, skinned
1 mango, ripe but firm
4 tablespoons lime juice (if unavailable then lemon juice, but this is less flavorful)
1½ teaspoons chili paste (the best are Aji Limo, Aji Rocoto or Aji Amarillo paste that comes in jars from Peru. If unavailable, then use a favorite homemade or readymade chili paste, in a quantity to taste. For homemade chili paste, process minced chili peppers, a little water and a drop of lemon juice in a food processor)
10 basil leaves, cut into narrow strips
1 purple onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Cut the fish into cubes of about 1 centimeter. Peel the mango and cut into 1 centimeter, similar sized cubes. In a bowl, mix together the fish cubes and the mango and add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and correct the seasoning. Allow to rest for 15 minutes for the flavors to be absorbed and serve immediately.
Salmon and peach tartare
Legend has it that Tartar tribes invented the dish of meat that is minced by hand with a touch of various vegetables and eaten raw. Hence the inspiration for fish tartare as well.
Ingredients (serves four):
300 grams fresh fillet of salmon, skinned
3 white peaches, ripe or firm, peeled and pitted
2 spring onions, minced
1 fresh red chili pepper, very finely minced (or to taste)
a small bunch of cilantro, finely minced
2 centimeters ginger root, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
With a very sharp knife cut the fish into 65-millimeter cubes. Cut the peaches into cubes of similar size. In a bowl, mix the cubes of fish and peaches with the rest of the ingredients, taste and correct the seasoning. Allow to rest for 15 minutes, for the flavors to absorb. For an impressive presentation, arrange the portions in a metal ring or cookie cutter with a circumference of 87 centimeters, or press into a small, oiled bowl and invert on the plate. Sprinkle a few more drops of sesame oil around the tartare and serve immediately.
Sardines pickled in salt and lemon
When fresh sardines are available, this is one of the best ways to enjoy them.
Ingredients (serves 4-6):
700 grams medium-sized fresh sardines (about 15 fish)
cup coarse Atlantic sea salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 lemons
olive oil
If the fishmonger agrees to remove the head and the backbone, you are ahead of the game. If not, insert a small, sharp knife into the belly of the sardine, near the the head, and slide it down to the tail. With your fingers separate the backbone from the flesh and pull it out. Cut off the head and you will have a clean butterfly of sardine flesh. Repeat for all of the sardines. In a small bowl mix together the salt and the sugar. Cut the lemons into thin slices.
Place a pasta colander over a large bowl. In the bottom of the colander arrange a layer of lemon slices and sprinkle on them a bit of the salt and sugar mixture (not too much, to avoid too much saltiness).
On top of the lemons and the salt-and-sugar arrange a layer of sardines, skin side up. Scatter a bit more salt over the fish and top them with another layer of lemons. Repeat the lemon-salt-fish-salt-lemon-salt-fish sequence until all the lemons, salt and fish are used up. Cover the colander with plastic cling wrap and place in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. During this time the fish and the lemon will exude juices that will gather in the bowl that is under the colander.
Remove the fish from the refrigerator, discard the liquids and transfer the fish and a few slices of lemon to a glass bowl (most of the lemon slices get thrown away). Cover with good olive oil and keep in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Eat with bread and butter, preferably alongside an ice-cold cocktail.
doramg@haaretz.co.il