Rabu, 20 Oktober 2010

Living Dangerously : Fugu

Fugu sashimi is so special that it's often eaten as a main course, just like sushi.

Fugu is a blowfish from Japan. In the United States, I found only one or two restaurants in New York City that serve it. All other states prohibit (as far as I know) its consumption. This blowfish is so poisonous that minimal amounts of venom are enough to kill a large, healthy adult, in less than a half hour. Its effects are similar to those of curare, a nerve poison used by the natives in the Amazonas. If fugu isn't prepared correctly, chances are good that you'll die of respiratory and cardiac failure.

Here are some tips on how to best enjoy fugu:

* Always call the restaurant in advance and make a reservation; a skilled itamae who knows how to prepare fugu is hard to find, and may come to the restaurant just to prepare the fugu for you.

* Beware of a restaurant that will prepare fugu for you without a reservation unless you're a regular patron.

* Plan on eating fugu sashimi and little else for that meal; don't worry, fugu sashimi is rather abundant, usually enough for two people.

* Never eat fugu if you're sitting at a table. Order it only if sitting at the sushi bar where you can watch its preparation. Watching the preparation is part of the fun.

* The itamae will hand you a large plate with very thin slices of fish arranged like flower petals, and a small mound of fugu skin will be piled in the centre. It will be decorated with chopped scallions and spicy radish (not wasabi). A small halved sudachi (Japanese lime) will be somewhere on the plate or handed to you separately.

* When adding the Japanese lime, add only a few drops. This isn't ceviche.

* Eat fugu s-l-o-w-l-y with your chopsticks. Enjoy its delicate flavor. Your lips and tongue should tingle, like after a sensuous kiss, making every bite taste better than the previous one. Drink smooth sake every two or three bites to cleanse your palate.

* Can you feel your tongue? No? Stop eating immediately and call the ambulance.

* Alternate between eating the flesh and the skin.

* Never dip fugu in soy sauce. If the sushi chef recommends a sauce, it will be a very mild ponzu sauce (sudachi and soy sauce dilluted with a bit of sweet sake and rice vinegar) and he will give it to you without asking.

* Take your time after eating fugu before ordering anything else. It's better if you just let it settle. Skip dessert.

* Tip the itamae generously. You will notice that he is much older (and presumably experienced) than other sushi chefs you might have run into. In fact, avoid eating fugu from a itamae who looks younger than forty. Experience is a friend of caution in this case. (eugeneciurana)


See also : dim sum, burger king

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