Hirezake — From Cheap Wine to Hyper Smooth Sake

[LLCC]

I don't know what kind of alchemy this is, but I dare say, everyone agreed the transformed sake was so smooth, it felt like it didn't touch the lips and tongue before it's already down the throat.

So next time you get some Scorpionfish, or Ayu, grill it till it's crispy and make yourself some Hirezake.

https://gaspinggurami.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/hirezake-hyper-smooth-sake/

[Tiddlerbasher]

Hi Lawrence - Many years ago (on a business trip to Japan) - I experienced fugu based hirezaki - wow I've never tasted sake that good since. I wonder if it would work with any other fish or cheap wine (fugu and lionfish aren't exactly plentiful in the UK waters )
Thank you for bringing back the memory

[LLCC]

Hi Lawrence - Many years ago (on a business trip to Japan) - I experienced fugu based hirezaki - wow I've never tasted sake that good since. I wonder if it would work with any other fish or cheap wine (fugu and lionfish aren't exactly plentiful in the UK waters )
Thank you for bringing back the memory

Haha! I'm glad that stirred up your tastebuds. Those around Florida will find a new reason to target the invasive lionfish - for the fins!

As for other fish, the Japanese also smoke a little salmonid fish called "Ayu". And the dried and toasted fish is also used for the same purpose. So you might wanna try smoking a little trout or minnow from your streams to test it out.

Alternatively, you can mail order dry fugu fins from Rakuten. It's cheap and convenient, but you miss out on the satisfaction of preparing the fish yourself. Here's a link in English. http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/chibanojizakana/item/10000080/

HTH,

LL

[Bryan Young]

Thanks Lawrence. 

I've only had the experience to drink fugu sake in Japan.  It was so good, my friends sent me a huge bag of fugu fins.  I toasted them in a toaster oven then plop into the cheapest sake I could find.  Smoooooth.  My friends told me that it will not work with expensive sake, in fact it will ruin expensive sake.  Use only cheap sake.

We have invasive lion fish in Hawaii too...some unmentionables released them into the wild from their fish tanks.

Thanks,

Bryan

[Tiddlerbasher]

Thanks for the link Lawrence

[conchydong]

I will get brave and try it with Lionfish. I have always cut the fins off with shears and tossed them while on the water. Makes handling the Lionfish easier, so there aren't any accidental pokes. I hope I won't get poisoned.

[bluefish69]

Tell the Wife to pay your life insurance first.

Mike