WARNING: If by deep-frying you expect to obtain juicy and super soft tuna, beware: the resulting texture should rather be compared chicken than soft fish. Here is the very easy Lemon Zest and Chilli Paste recipe, a twist on the Japanese Yuzu Koshou: Raimu Koshou

Visit Shizuoka Gourmet to check the restaurant’s address, to read the whole review and other fascinating food, sake and Japan – related posts that will make you travel far far away to Shizuoka prefecture.Īctually, thanks to Robert-Gilles I was reminded of deep-fried tuna coated in sesame seeds (Maguro no Goma Age, or Sesame Coated Tuna Nuggets) I posted a long time ago and have completely forgotten: Sesame Coated Tuna Nuggets (Maguro no Goma Age) (I think it’s also an excellent idea to use frozen and then thawed tuna.) Thank you so much, Robert-Gilles, for this excellent idea.

In spite of these modifications, the final result was fantastic and definitely worth repeating. As for shiso leaves, their pungency usually pairs well with fried dishes and it did this time too. Apart from a crisp bed of sliced red onion, the original version features also momiji oroshi (grated daikon with chilli) and chopped green onion (or rather “negi”). I didn’t have momiji oroshi, so I decided to replace it with raimu koshou, a homemade replacement for yuzu koshou, the famous Japanese yuzu zest and chilli paste. The delicious tuna snack, called “pon kara maguro”, is served in Sushi Ko, an excellent restaurant in Shizuoka I learnt about in a review by Robert-Gilles (from the above-mentioned Shizuoka Gourmet) who was lucky to enjoy the dinner in this extraordinary place. Despite my seasoning modification, I loved the resulting combination of different flavours and thought this snack was perfect to enjoy with a drink or a starter. When I saw at Shizuoka Gourmet deep- fried tuna chunks on a bed of red onions I knew I had to prepare them as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to excellent quality product and usually pan-grill tuna steaks, keeping them rare inside.

High quality, raw tuna is one of the most delicious fish treats I can imagine.

Kontasu tunacan