Japanese Fermented Squid🦑
Salted squid (traditional way)
[Materials]
・ Raw squid: 6 cups
・ Natural salt: About 3-5% of the weight of squid (about 2-3 tablespoons)
· Sake: tablespoon 2
Mirin: 1 tablespoon tablespoon
[How to make]
1. Preparation: Put your finger in the squid body and gently pull out the liver (ground) so as not to break it. Remove the transparent cartilage and internal organs, wash the inside and outside of the body with cold water and wipe off the water.
2. Preparing the liver: Carefully remove the ink bag from the liver. Spread salt on a vat, cover the whole liver with salt and leave it in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours to remove the odor and moisture. Rinse the salt quickly with water, wipe off the water, tear the skin and squeeze out the paste.
3. Preparation of the body: Lightly sprinkle salt on the open body and ears and leave in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to drain the water. After wiping off the water, cut it into 5mm wide strips.
4. Combination and seasoning: Put liver paste, sake and mirin in a bowl and mix well until smooth. Add shredded squid to it and mix well.
5. Aging: Transfer to a sterilized jar and store in the refrigerator. Mix the whole with clean chopsticks and let it touch the air once or twice a day.
[Time to eat]
· Day 1-2: Fresh and sweet taste of squid stands out.
・ Day 3-5: The best recommendation is that the maturation progresses and the deep taste and richness come out.
Please keep refrigerated and consume within about 7 to 10 days.
イカの塩辛は日本の伝統的な発酵食品で、家庭でも簡単に作ることができます。私も初めて作ったときは、肝の扱いに少し戸惑いましたが、説明どおりゆっくり丁寧に下処理をすることで、臭みのない美味しい塩辛ができました。肝を塩で覆って冷蔵庫でじっくり時間をかけて臭みと余分な水分を抜く工程は特に重要で、このひと手間で味の深みがかなり変わります。 熟成中は毎日1〜2回瓶の中をかき混ぜ、空気を入れることが発酵を促進し味に複雑さが出てきます。個人的には3日目から5日目のちょうど旨みが増したタイミングが一番好きで、酒のつまみとしても最高です。保存は冷蔵庫で1週間程度が目安ですが、早めに食べきる方が新鮮な甘みと旨みを楽しめます。 もし塩辛特有の強い匂いが気になる場合は、日本酒やみりんの量を調整して味のバランスを変えるのもおすすめ。イカの種類や塩の量を変えて、自分好みの味を見つける楽しみもありますね。伝統の味を尊重しつつ、創意工夫で自宅で本格的なイカの塩辛作りに挑戦してみてください。食卓を彩る発酵の味わいは、日本の食文化の奥深さを感じられる一品です。