Ankimo (Monkfish Liver) ~ New Food #7
Posted on 12 February 2008 by Lindsay
Last night, I went to YABU for sushi on La Cienega in Los Angeles. For those who live in LA, this is a hidden gem. The sushi is incredibly fresh for the price and there is a small, serene patio, perfect for a romantic date or private party. My dinning pal wanted to order ankimo … monkfish liver … hmmm, I’ll try anything (almost anything) once. It is considered a great delicacy in Japan, although there is some controversy over the exotic food, since Monkfish are overfished. Traditionally, the ankimo is deveined, then steamed, chilled, cut into slices and served with scallions and grated daikon mixed with momiji oroshi (red pepper sauce), and
ponzu sauce.
TASTE: Very delicate and unique. Earthy, subtle liver flavor, slight hint of mushroom.
TEXTURE: Firm, velvety texture not unlike foie gras.
PRO: Those who love it, REALLY LOVE IT! So … you might try it and discover a new food-love affair.
CON:
Monkfish are overfished so eating any part of one is not terribly great for the environment.
USES: Eat steamed plain or as sushi ( not raw ), used in miso soup, deep fried in tempura batter.
YUM FACTOR: Decent. Personally, I didn’t love it or hate it. I will try it again, since our was cold and seemed to be missing that “creamy” texture so many people rave about. I would like to try it warm.
For an ankimo recipe, click the link below.
Ankimo has been eaten in Japan for a very long time. Many believe
that fishermen first prepared it because they could not afford to discard any
part of their catch, including the big liver which is generally is more than a half-foot long and weighs over a pound! If you are really adventurous and would like to make an ankimo recipe at home this is a great site to visit with pictures!
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Tags | ankimo, ankimo recipe, ankimo sushi, exotic sushi, extoic foods, monkfish liver, new foods, Yabu sushi La Cienega
February 13th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Dear Lindsay!
Greetings!
Robert-Gilles from Shizuoka, Japan!
Thank you so much for visiting my site and introducing it to your friends!
By the way, I shall post a short article on various ways of presentation of ankimo by sushi restaurants in Shizuoka Prefecture. Will send you a message when it is ready!
If you are interested, apart of my blogs on sushi and gourmet foods in Shizuoka Prefecture, I also wite blogs on its sake and shochu (and others)!
Shizuoka Prefecture happens to be the only Prefecture which would be self-sufficient in the case of a major catastrophe, because we produce almost everything that comes onto tables.
Incidentally out of eight 3-star restaurants in Tokyo, the top chef in three of them is from Shizuoka Prefecture!
Looking forward to visiting and commenting on your blog soon!
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles