If you love yellowtail, you will love this appetizer recipe that is a signature dish from Okada Restaurant at Wynn Resort in Las Vegas.

INGREDIENTS

• Slice Hamachi 2.5 inches long thin sliced sashimi into 5 pieces.
• Place sashimi pieces on the plate.
• Place I piece of tiny cilantro leaf on each sashimi slice and then top with ½ tsp of Chile Salsa for each slice.
• Pour 1 ½ ounces of spicy ponzu over fish.
• Garnish plate with bouquet consisting of 1 stalk of cilantro, 1 stalk of micro red shiso, and 5-6 Kaiware (daikon sprout).
• Place ½ each of red and yellow pear tomato on each end of plate.

Chile Salsa (Serves 3)

• 1 each red & green Jalapeno chopped fine
• 1 tsp of red onion chopped
• 8 stalk of cilantro leaves chopped very fine
• 5 oz of ponzu sauce.
• Mix all together.

Ponzu Sauce

If you are pressed for time or cannot find the ingredients, Chef Masamichi suggests you can always purchase Ponzu sauce. This keeps preparation simple and quick  (or better yet, just come to Okada the next time you are in Las Vegas and ask for some homemade to take with you!). Have your fish monger slice some yellowtail to bring home  and get a quick start on this wonderful appetizer. Your guests will love it.

Ponzu sauce

For the more adventuresome, the ingredients for Ponzu sauce can be obtained from Asian markets or specialty stores. If you have a little more time, try Chef Ishizawa’s recipe.

PONZU SAUCE

INGREDIENTS


Rice Vinegar – 800 ml

Soy Sauce – 500 ml

Mirin – 50 ml          (sweet Japanese cooking wine)

Yuzu Juice – 50 ml  (a Japanaese citrus fruit about the size of a tangerine and quite sour)

Tamari – 50 ml         (Tamari is  naturally brewed and made with more  soybeans than regular soy sauce to produce a smoother, more  complex flavor).

Bonito – 10 grams     (derived from small tunny like marine fish that includes sardines and mackerel found in warm Paccific and Atlantic waters. The flesh is dried and flaked and used in Japanese cooking.

Konbu – 1 piece, about 6 inches long  (This has a Japanese citrus taste, similar to a mixture of lemon and lime, including the zest.)

Add everything in large container and mix well. Let sit for 5-7 days, then strain. If you don’t have time the sauce may be used after 1 or 2 days, but the full flavor won’t develop until after 5-7 days.

– The Gourmet Review