The Captain's Table

Tales and recipes from my kitchen.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Japanese breakfast

I just returned from a trip to Japan with Yuki. What a great place! We didn't have a single bad meal, and we managed to do it on the cheap, too. The cities were bustling, hot, and humid, and after many days of sightseeing, we headed off to Kamikochi in the Japanese Alps for a hike. Along the way we came across a popular fish hut located just off the path on a stream. Their specialty, dating back many decades, is fire roasted trout straight from the stream. They trap them in a pen not more than 30 feet from the fire that was used to cook them. They're only about 6-8 inches long, so they're tender throughout, and I mean throughout. We were told by our server that you can eat every bit of the fish. I've never enjoyed a better fish head!

The fish was killed and gutted, skewered, rolled in salt, then placed next to a blazing wood fire and roasted until the skin was crisp. It was absolutely delicious.

Unfortunately I didn't take a single photo of the food I ate while in Japan. I'll do what I can to recall the meals here soon.