Ikura and Uni This Week
Two highlights this week: Ikura Shoyuzuke (イクラ醤油漬け) and Hokkaido Uni. Ikura will be ready and available from Friday, priced by weight at the storefront. Uni is available online for local delivery orders — reserve through the shop before coming in, as quantities are limited.
Ikura Shoyuzuke is salmon roe cured in a marinade of sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Making it properly takes time — the roe is separated from the skein by hand, rinsed in warm salt water, and then left to absorb the marinade for several hours. The result is glossy, jewel-like pearls with a savory-sweet brine and a clean pop on the palate. It is one of the simplest and most satisfying things to eat over warm Japanese rice — the heat of the rice against the cold roe, with nothing else needed.
Green Yuzu — Seasonal Window at Rice Market
A seasonal find worth acting on quickly: Rice Market is now carrying green Yuzu — the unripe autumn harvest, available only for a matter of weeks before it either ripens to yellow or disappears from supply entirely. Green Yuzu has a sharper, more herbal fragrance than the ripe yellow fruit: less sweet, more aromatic, with a bitterness in the peel that makes it ideal for Yuzu-Kosho and citrus-forward preparations.
If you want to make your own Yuzu-Pon (柚子ポン酢) or Yuzu-Kosho (柚子胡椒) at home, this is the ingredient and this is the window. Yuzu-Kosho requires green Yuzu peel, green chili, and salt — fermented for several days. The homemade version is markedly better than anything commercial. Ask at the Rice Market counter for the Yuzu while it's there.
Wine & Fish Pairing — Sold Out Instantly
The first public Wine & Fish Pairing event at Rice Market sold out within minutes of tickets being released — three sessions on October 20th, all gone. We genuinely did not anticipate the demand moving that quickly. Thank you to everyone who secured a seat and everyone who tried.
We will be scheduling more sessions. The format — pairing our sashimi-grade fish directly with wine, exploring which cuts work with red and orange wine rather than defaulting to white — is clearly something people want to explore. Follow @keita_sashimi_dc and Rice Market's channels for the next release. We will give as much advance notice as we can.
Ikura at home: Serve cold Ikura over warm rice in a bowl — the contrast in temperature is the whole point. A small amount of soy sauce on the side, or none at all if the Shoyuzuke marinade is already well-seasoned. Nori on top if you have it. This is one of the great simple meals.