Ago Chikuwa Grilled Flying Fish Cake

Name: Ago Chikuwa Grilled Flying Fish Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 63 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: boneless skinless flying fish flesh 600 g; fine salt 12 g; sugar 6 g; ice water 60 ml

Quick answer

Total time: 63 min
Level: Hard
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients: 4

About this dish

Flying fish, called ago in Tottori, gives these bamboo-core fish cakes a darker color than ordinary chikuwa made mostly from pollock, and a skin that grills firm enough to make a sound under a knife.

Tear them by hand as a drinking snack with soy sauce, or slice them into soups and simmered dishes.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

boneless skinless flying fish flesh

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Instructions

7 steps

1

Soak six food-safe bamboo rods in cold water for 30 minutes to reduce scorching and sticking.

Preheat the oven broiler to 230°C and line a catch tray with baking paper.
2

Run fingertips over 600g chilled flying fish flesh to remove every pin bone, then cut into 2cm pieces.

Keep the bowl over ice and the fish below 10°C throughout preparation.
3

Process the fish with 12g fine salt in three 20-second bursts, scraping the bowl each time.

When the paste gathers and becomes elastic, add 6g sugar.
4

Add 60ml ice water in three portions, processing 10 seconds after each, until smooth.

If the paste exceeds 10°C, chill it for 15 minutes before continuing.
5

Divide the paste into six portions with wet hands.

Press one around the center of each drained bamboo rod, smoothing it into a seamless cylinder 12cm long and 1.5cm thick.
6

Rest the rod ends on supports so the paste does not touch the tray and broil for 4 minutes.

Turn each rod 90 degrees and cook every side for 3 to 4 minutes until deeply browned.
7

Confirm the thickest center is opaque and at least 63°C.

Cool 5 minutes, slowly twist out the bamboo rods, then cool completely and tear by hand or slice 2cm thick.