Posted by Casson on Jun 29, 2009 in
Contest,
News and Announcements So, the time has finally come to announce the winner of our unagi replacement contest. We managed to try all of the items that were suggested (with the lamentable exception of rattlesnake) and have come to a clear and unanimous decision about which we feel best replicated the dark, sweet experience that unagi fans have come to crave.
I’ll go over the entries one by one:
1) Portobello mushroom, suggested by Christina
Portobello mushroom: Flavor 3.5/5, Texture 1/5
This actually delivered a very nice dish, albeit not one that ended up working as an unagi substitute. The mushroom held the kabayaki flavor well and, if marinated in some similar flavors, really did deliver that sweetness that eel fans are looking for. It was a very nice bit in its own right — but as far as the goal of supplanting unagi was concerned, it came up short in texture. The spongy nature of the mushroom made it difficult to mimic the delicate, flaky nature of eel. Still, we did eat the whole dish. I mean, it tasted really good… it just wasn’t what we were looking for.
Arctic char: Flavor 2.5/5, Texture 3/5
2) Arctic char, suggested by Genie
Arctic char is a delicious fish and I’m huge proponent of using it in sushi. We tried it out for this purpose and, to be honest, it almost seemed a bit of a shame to cover a complex and well-flavored fish with the saccharine syrup that is used to prepare your standard unagi. All the delicacy of the char was overwhelmed. Again, not a bad dish, but the char could be so much more on its own.
3) Spanish mackerel, suggested by Richard
Spanish mackerel: Flavor 2/5, Texture 3/5
Spanish mackerel is an interesting fish that is, in my opinion, underused in the sushi world. Known in Japanese as sawara, Spanish mackerel can be delicious in the hands of a skilled sushi chef that knows how to properly marinate and prepare it. We wrangled with the idea of marinating it in a typical pre-nigiri style before turning it into kabayaki, but decided against it in favor of using the natural flavors of the fish. In the end, the natural flavors of the mackerel were a bit too strong and clashed with the sauce.
Sand dabs: Flavor 4/5, Texture 1/5
4) Sanddabs, suggested by Amy
I cannot even express how much I enjoy sanddabs. Although they’re found in other areas as well, sand dabs are considered a local delicacy of the Monterey Bay area, these flaky saucer-sized flatfish are a genuine local treat for those visiting or living on the Central California coast. Unfortunately for the sake of this contest, the flesh of the fillets is simply too delicate and lean to withstand the searing that unagi is subjected to. It tasted quite nice, but the heat caused the fish to fall apart.
5) Pacific Octopus, suggested by Roshi
Octopus: Flavor 2/5, Texture 1/5
We were unable to locate true North pacific giant octopus, and instead sourced some fresh trap-caught common octopus (as opposed to packaged and prepared product generally used as tako in sushi bars). To be honest, it was a rather odd dish that we created. The octopus does not take well to the kind of cooking that is used to prepare unagi, needing instead a prolonged blanching period. After we blanched the octopus, we attempted to sear it in a kabayaki style, but ended up just charring the flesh. In the end it was far too chewy. On the plus side, this suggestion did force us to look around for some sustainable replacements to the standard it-says-product-of-Japan-but-who-knows-where-it-really-comes-from octopus that the conventional sushi industry uses all too frequently.
Eggplant: Flavor 4/5, Texture 4/5
6) Eggplant, suggested by Heather
This was a great call. The marinated eggplant took the flavors intrinsic to a standard unagi dish extremely well, and while the eggplant itself ended up soft and flaky, we were able to sear it along the sides to change the outer consistency. The presence of the eggplant skin was invaluable as well, as the marinade, kabayaki sauce, and blowtorch flame combined to create an impressive simulacrum of well-cooked eel skin.
So, in the end, the winner was Heather with her eggplant suggestion. Score one for vegan sushi!
Heather will receive a copy of Sustainable Sushi as well as a free dinner for two at Tataki Sushi Bar in San Francisco.
Oh, and I should mention — just because the contest is over doesn’t mean that we’re not still looking for new ways to replace unagi. Eel populations are still crashing and Chinese eel ranches continue to spill more pollution into neighboring wetlands every day. Until eels have been properly protected and stocks are rebuilding, we will continue to look for inventive options that can serve to make the presence of eel on sushi menus obsolete.
Thanks everyone for your entries, this was really a lot of fun for us.
Tags: char, Contest, eel, eggplant, heather, iwana, mackerel, nasu, octopus, portobello, sanddab, sawara, spanish mackerel, tako, unagi, winner
When this contest was first announced, I had guessed that it would result in a relatively quick and painless process of trial and error. We’d test each entry, judge them internally (and maybe offer samples to customers who happened to be in the restaurant at the time), and announce the winner. This really doesn’t seem that difficult, right?
Right.
The challenge came as a result of the Tataki chefs and I deciding beforehand that we would accept and test all reasonable entries, regardless of whether or not they were in our current supply chain. I mean, this whole contest was about thinking outside the box, so we wanted to encourage that. We wanted to be taken by surprise.
Don't tread on me... or eat me, for that matter.
Everything was going fine until someone suggested rattlesnake. I mean, it’s not a bad idea. It may have a similar consistency and texture to eel. Who knows? We decided that it was a smart entry and that it should be included in the contest.
Unfortunately, it has proven near impossible to get in San Francisco. In a drawn-out six-week search, I’ve talked to our suppliers, investigated high-end meat stores and exotic importers, even went to Chinatown on a tip we got on Twitter… nothing. So, in the interest of drawing this contest to a close, I’ve given up.
Unless anyone happens to have some rattlesnake meat and wants to drop it off at Tataki by this weekend, I’m letting it go. The results of the contest will be posted early next week. We apologize to Hilary, the one who suggested rattlesnake, for our inability to consider her innovative idea due to the paucity of snakemeat.
Seriously, it’s like we’re in Ireland or something.
Tags: Contest, eel, Hilary, rattlesnake, Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar, Twitter, unagi
Please stop eating unagi.
- An adult European eel, Anguilla anguilla.
A recent article in the Guardian, a prestigious UK newspaper that has an entire department devoted to environmental issues, has reported that eel populations across the European continent have dropped by 95% in the past 25 years. Sadly, this isn’t really that surprising.
Steven Morris, the article’s author, writes that “a ban on exporting eels out of Europe – they are a popular dish in the far east – is proposed, along with a plan to severely limit the fishing season and the number of people who will be allowed licences [sic -- heh].” Unfortunately, that is the extent to which the article discusses the connection of the eel’s dire situation to the sushi world.
- Eels in captivity. Chances are exceptionally good that they were captured from a dying European or American population.
The unagi industry is based primarily in China and relies on glass eels (babies) caught in the wild rather than hatching animals within the farms.
There’s not a whole lot I can add to my current entry on unagi. It already ends with “Don’t eat it.” I guess this isn’t so much of an update as it is me beating the same old drum.
I don’t mean to be preachy, but this animal is in serious trouble. We need to give it a break. There are other options. Honestly, drench just about any fatty, sustainable whitefish (I suggest Alaskan or Canadian black cod) in kabeyaki sauce, broil it or sear it with a blowtorch, and serve it with sesame seeds over rice: it’s gonna taste a whole lot like unagi.
Listen, I’m not trying to be obnoxious about this. I just am particularly passionate about this issue. The eel is an incredible creature, and we know so little about it. All freshwater eels from both sides of the North Atlantic swim all the way to one small tract of ocean — the Sargasso Sea — to spawn. For the longest time, we actually thought they simply incarnated from mud and weeds in rivers because we had never seen breeding eels. There’s still so much we can learn about this animal.
Your entry will be prepared in this fashion.
Let me put something out there, as added incentive. How about this — everyone who reads this post, please comment on it with your alternative to eel. It could be anything you want (but black cod, aka sablefish, has already been taken, so that doesn’t count; and no unsustainable items — that goes without saying.) I’ll wait ten days from posting. On the eleventh day (May 15th), I’ll take all the suggestions to Chef Kin Lui at Tataki Sushi Bar. He will look at the list of suggestions, try them out as kabeyaki-style dishes, and choose a favorite. I’ll post a picture of the winning dish. Whoever wins will receive a free dinner for two at Tataki Sushi Bar in San Francisco, as well as a signed copy of my book.
Good luck!
Tags: black cod, china, Contest, eel, endangered, farming, fishing season, gindara, glass eel, guardian, kabeyaki, kin lui, licences, sablefish, steven morris, sustainable sushi, Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar, unagi, Update, whitefish
