How To Make Restaurant Style Hamachi Kama & Daikon Oroshi- Recipe

The hamachi collar aka Hamachi Kama is the collar section of the yellowtail. It's the section right behind the fish's head and gills. It's also one of my favorite Japanese dishes to order at a restaurant (like at Nobu) because it's the fattiest part of the fist so the meat is very light, moist, and super tender. It's also rich in omega fats.

At Japanese restaurants it's often served with a little scoop of daikon oroshi (simply translates to grated daikon radish) and it's often accompanied with other grilled fish as well. It's refreshing, a little spicy and mildly sweet which helps to cut the salt of the fish between a few bites.

It's typically grilled or broiled with skin on until partly charred at the edges and two most common methods is to broil your Hamachi Kama in the oven or using an air fryer. I tested both methods and they both yielded similar results (the oven looked slightly less charred) but they both tasted identical.

To make daikon oroshi, just a piece of daikon then grate with a medium-fine grater which will yeild a nice fluffy daikon texture. You can also use a coarser grater for a more crisp oroshi. Then just lightly press the grated daikon in a mesh strainer to release some of it's water/juice out (don't drain it all out because it will be very dry and coarse to eat, you want it still a little moist but not pooling in it's juices).

If you’re like me finding hamachi collars can be difficult but I got my yellowtail collars from an online seafood authority, Wulfsfish. They came super frozen and fresh! Nom Nom Nom

INGREDIENTS

2 pieces hamachi kama (yellowtail collars from Wulfsfish, or sub with tuna, salmon or swordfish collars)
Sea salt
Black pepper
Mirin
Sesame oil


Yuzu dipping sauce: (or use Ponzu sauce for dipping)
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp mirin (up to two)
½ tsp yuzu juice (optional if you can find it) OR use some fresh lime/lemon juice
1 chili pepper (optional)
Grated ginger

GARNISH:
1 lime or lemon wedge (or lime)
Pile of grated daikon (aka daikon oroshi)

SERVE WITH:
Japanese short grain rice


PREPARATION
1. Defrost fish. If in a bag, leave it in the vacuumed bag and place in cold water for 20 min or until thawed. Rinse and pat dry.
2. Pre-heat broiler 5 min. Place rack 6-8" from broiler (I had mine on the 3rd highest rack)
3. Crinkle a sheet of foil and lay it on top of a baking sheet and brush oil over the foil
3. Brush fish collars with a little mirin, then brush with a little sesame oil. Then sprinkle some salt and pepper (no need to salt the skin side). Transfer fish collar to foiled sheet skin side down.
4. Broil over low-medium until the meat part is blistered and cooked (about 8-12 min depending on your oven). After 10 min, flip over meat side down and let skin crisp up some (additional 2-3 min). You can also tell when it's done when the outer edges of the collar and fins becomes nice and crispy/charred. Keep oven light on and watch it so the collars don't burn.

*Typically boriling seetings are someting like: Low setting= 450ºF/232ºC, Mediumsetting = 500ºF/260ºC.

AIR FRYER INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Defrost fish. If in a bag, leave it in the vacuumed bag and place in cold water for 20 min or until thawed. Rinse and pat dry.
2. Pre-heat air fryer 400 degrees for a few minutes.
3. Crinkle a sheet of foil and lay it on top of a baking sheet or air fryer tray and brush oil over the foil
3. Brush fish collars with a little mirin, then brush with a little sesame oil. Then sprinkle some salt and pepper (no need to salt the skin side). Transfer fish collar to foiled sheet skin side down or brush your air fryer grate if not using foil.
4. Add fish collar skin side down. Air fryer at 400 degrees for 8-10 min, after 6-7 min and the meat side is browned, flip over and cook skin side up for 2-3 min until a little brown and blistered. Transfer to a plate and serve with some Daikon Oroshi and a wedge of lemon or lime.