or"Willow Leaf Fish" is smelt, a small silver skinned salt water fish with a darker dorsal. Only 15 centimeters long, the fish is eaten whole, bones, tail, head, and roe. It is named for its resemblance to a willow leaf and the name hales from Ainu legend in which in response to pleas for food for the hungry mortals the leaves of a willow were transformed by divine intervention to magically become fish as they fell into the water. The Japanese word for smelt, shishamo is a derivative of the Ainu word for the same fish, susam, a composite of the Ainu words for willow/”susu” and leaf/”ham”.
The smelt is battered, grilled, and sometimes
used in sashimi and sushi. Komochi shishamo or "Smelt with Eggs" is a Japanese dish in which the shishamo are grilled whole.
The smelt bones are so small as not to detract from the pleasure of eating
the shishamo.
Sample recipe: Komochi shishamo
Ingredients
·
Smelt, preferably females
with roe
·
Soy sauce
Lemon
A light cooking oil to lay a thin film on pan
·
Grated radish such as
Japanese daikon for contrast and garnish
Instructions
1.
Rinse and dry shishamo.
2.
Oil grill pan.
3. Over medium high heat, grill fish on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes until browned and crisped. Use care to turn the delicate fish.
4. Grate the radish on to plates of grouped shishamo, sprinkle a squeeze of lemon on fish and serve with soy sauce in a small bowl to the side.
