February 9, 2014

Nama Kaki (Raw Oysters)/生かき

Yesterday, we received a box of raw oysters, negi toro, and cod roe from a relative. We had the negi toro as negi toro don for last night's supper, and today, I decided to make some dishes using the raw oysters.
昨日、親戚から生かき(生がき)、ねぎとろ、たらこをもらいました。昨日の夕飯にはねぎとろをねぎとろ丼として食べて、今日の夕飯には生かきを使って料理を作ろうと思いました。
Although the "product name" is nama kaki (raw oyster), the "use" is for cooking (that is, inedible raw).
「品名」は生かきですが、「用途」は加熱調理用(つまり、生では食べられない)です。
I rubbed them all with some salt, rinsed them with water, and separated them according to size.
全部、塩でもんで、水で洗い、大きさに従って分けました。
 
Left: Small
Right: Medium and large
左: 小
右: 中と大 
As part of supper tonight, I pan-fried half the small oysters with garlic and butter, and sprinkled some soy sauce at the end.
夕飯に、小さいかきをニンニクとバターで炒めて、最後にしょう油をかけました。 
I cooked the other half with sake to make "saka mushi" (lit. steamed with sake). Note that we say saka mushi, not sake mushi.
残りの半分はお酒と一緒に調理して「酒蒸し」を作りました。「さけむし」ではなく、「さかむし」と言います。
I used cooking sake, which contains some salt, so I just cooked the oysters with sake only (with no additional salt).
塩分を少し含んでいる調理酒を使ったので、単に調理酒と一緒に蒸しただけです(塩を足さずに)。
 
I will make oyster fries with the large oysters.
大きなかきを使ってカキフライを作るつもりです。
 
NOTE THAT THE JAPANESE DO NOT EAT EVERYTHING RAW. EATING RAW OYSTERS IS ALSO COMMON, BUT THIS CUSTOM WAS INTRODUCED FROM EUROPE IN THE MEIJI PERIOD.
日本人は何でも生で食べる訳ではありません。生のかきを食べるのも一般的ですが、それは明治時代にヨーロッパから入ってきた習慣です。
 
 

4 comments:

Fräulein Trude said...

Good for you! So many oysters! I like oysters wether they are simmered, baked with bread crumbs, deep fried (covered by batter), grilled or raw. But they are a little bit dangerous. Many years ago we had some oyster related food poisoning while staying in southern france for christmas. All who ate raw oysters fell sick. It was not so funny. After this I did not care about oysters for a few years but started to eat them again. What does not kill you only makes you stronger.
Last time I had smoked oysters - not bad at all but they come with a very strong taste.

Hiroyuki said...

Kiki: Such tragedies occur in Japan, too, so I cooked the oysters for a relatively long time, with a lid on.

In Japan, you have to search for 生食用 ("seishoku you" or "namashoku you") if you want to eat oysters raw.

I hope I can make oyster fries for tonight's supper.

Like I mentioned before, I don't care for oysters myself.

Unknown said...

Haruki-san: I tried this tonight and it was oishii (I hope I got that right ) As always your recipes never fail to impress. Thank you for these insights into Japanese home cooking. Arigato.

Hiroyuki said...

Philberito: Thanks for your comment! Yes, oishii is a correct word.