Traditional Kyoto Style Southern Rocklobster Sashimi

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 x 2kg plus live Australian Southern Rocklobster
White miso
Soy
Dashi
Sea salt
Sake
Mirin
Ice
Wooden skewers

Garnishes and condiments

Shaved ice
Bamboo leaves
Sesame leaf
Kara suma (preserved sea bream roe) finely julienned
Limes
Baby shiso
Wasabi
Shredded and crisped daikon
Sushi mat folded in three
Carrot and daikon curls, paper-thin carrot and daikon slices rolled around chopsticks and curled in ice water
Seasoning soy, a combination of soy sauce, mirin and bonito then strained
Sea salt
Baby chives
Baby shiso leaves
Toasted nori to wrap
4 paper-thin radish slices
Paper-thin cucumber slices

Remove the rocklobster tail from the body and extract the tomalley - see tip. Mix the tomalley with equal amounts of white miso, dashi and soy and set to one side. Remove the green tail and split it lengthwise and cut it into roughly 4 cm chunks and divide the green tail 60%-40%.

For the Yaki Shimo

Set up an ice bath. Lay the green rocklobster tail on a heat proof tray and sprinkle it generously with sea salt, then using a blowtorch, scorch the salt to infuse it into the rocklobster meat. Arrest the heat in the ice bath for a couple of seconds, then remove and drain.

For the Arai

Set up a bowl of ice with about 250ml (1 cup) of water and add 125ml (1/2 cup) sake. Add the remaining rocklobster and stir through for 30 seconds. Tip into a colander and run a rapid flow of cold water over the meat. You will see that it separates into attached filaments and takes on a chrysanthemum appearance.

Other

Blanche the fan tail in boiling water and refresh it in ice water. Insert the skewers into the horns to hold them upright.

To plate the sashimi

Fan the leaves to the edges of a large serving plate and make a bed of shaved ice and position the Rocklobster head at one end of the plate, then position the tail shell ready to take the sashimi. Lay a bed of radish and then place the Arai closest to the head and the Yaki Shimo next to it. Lay the sushi mat lengthwise along the body and continue to assemble the dish. In the three-section sauce dish put some of the seasoning soy, sea salt and tomalley mix and serve.

Tip

Kenji removes the green tail meat using scissors and a bread and butter knife. He pulls open the tail and cuts along both sides of the underside, then, scraping the green meat away from the shell with the bread and butter knife he gently pulls the meat out of the tail.