Something Light for Friday Night

Well, we were supposed to have the short rib ragu tonight, but I couldn't bring myself to another rich meal.  So, that will be saved for this weekend.  We decided to go Japanese...ish.  I feel a little sheepish in saying Japanese as I feel like I really don't know if what I'm doing is true to form.  But we love it.  For an appetizer, we had some salmon sushi.  I made my own sushi rice and made a salmon roll,  some salmon nigiri as well as regular sashimi... all was buttery and rich.  It was made and consumed within minutes, which is, as I believe, as it should be.  I kept the rice slightly warm which made it melt in your mouth.

For dinner, I made a variety of small plates.  

Panko Crusted Ahi Tuna Roll

Sashimi grade Ahi, rolled with baby spinach, nori and panko then flash fried and served with a soy wasabi butter sauce

Black Cod with Miso

Black Cod marinated in miso, sake and ginger and broiled

Tempura Calamari

Calamari soaked in milk and then dregded in flour and flash fried

Yakitori Chicken

Skewered boneless, skin on chicken thighs grilled and brushed with yakitori sauce of shoyu, sake and sugar

Pan Roasted Asparagus, poached egg and miso butter

Pan roast the asparagus in butter

Miso butter is heated with sherry vinegar (I used balsamic & red wine vinegar)

Poached egg

Truth be told, I am not an egg fan.  But I have come to love the warm and lava like yoke center that tastes buttery and cheesy at the same time.