Isaki Nagasaki 1lb

What is Isaki?
Isaki (三線磯鱸, three line grunt) from Nagasaki is a prized summer fish, easy to recognize by the three silver lines along its silver-white body. It's celebrated for tender meat with a rich, succulent flavor, and each piece runs about 1.0–1.5 lbs. Summer is its season — in Japan it's a fish that signals the warm months, at its fattiest and best as the rains give way to summer.

The three silver stripes are the mark of the younger fish, fading as it grows. Isaki is a versatile fish — the flesh has enough fat to grill or simmer well, yet stays clean and tender enough for sushi and sashimi.

Specifications

How to enjoy

Salt-grilled (shioyaki) is the classic — isaki has enough fat to crisp the skin and stay moist, served with grated daikon and a squeeze of sudachi. It's also good simmered in a nitsuke, and very fresh it makes fine sashimi or nigiri, the flesh clean and tender with a light richness. A quick sear on the skin (aburi) suits it too. Keep it cold and cook it fresh.

Pairing notes — salt, grated daikon, sudachi or yuzu, soy and wasabi, and a dry sake.