📝 About This Recipe
Shiokara is the ultimate Japanese 'chinmi' (rare delicacy), a deeply savory and funky ferment made from fresh squid and its own nutrient-rich liver. This recipe transforms humble seafood into a complex, salty-sweet masterpiece that captures the essence of the ocean through the ancient art of lactic acid fermentation. It is a bold, soul-warming preparation that rewards the patient cook with a depth of flavor that is incomparable to anything else in the culinary world.
🥗 Ingredients
The Seafood
- 2 large Fresh Whole Squid (Must be sashimi-grade; approximately 500-600g total)
- 2 pieces Squid Liver (Goro) (Reserved from the whole squid; must be intact and firm)
The Curing & Fermentation Base
- 10 % Sea Salt (Non-iodized) (Calculated by weight of squid meat and liver; roughly 2-3 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons Sake (High quality, for cleaning and depth)
- 1 tablespoon Mirin (Hon-mirin preferred for subtle sweetness)
Aromatics & Flavor Enhancers
- 1/2 teaspoon Yuzu Zest (Finely grated; or substitute with lemon zest)
- 1/2 teaspoon Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven-spice powder)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger (Freshly grated to yield juice)
- 1 tablespoon Koji (Rice Koji) (Optional; adds sweetness and accelerates fermentation)
- 1 piece Dried Red Chili (Sliced into thin rounds, seeds removed)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Carefully clean the squid by pulling the head and tentacles away from the body. Locate the silver-grey liver (goro) attached to the guts; carefully remove it without puncturing and set it aside in a small bowl.
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2
Remove the transparent 'pen' (cartilage), beak, and eyes. Peel the purple skin off the mantle and fins to reveal the translucent white flesh. Rinse all parts quickly under cold running water and pat extremely dry with paper towels.
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3
Sprinkle the squid liver generously with about 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Place it on a slanted plate or in a sieve over a bowl and refrigerate for 4-6 hours to draw out excess moisture and firm up the texture.
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4
Slice the squid mantle into thin strips (about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long). Cut the tentacles into bite-sized pieces. Place the cut squid in a bowl, toss with 1 tablespoon of sake, and pat dry again.
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5
Lightly salt the squid meat (using about 1% of its weight) and let it air-dry on a wire rack in the refrigerator for 2 hours. This 'semi-drying' step is crucial for the signature chewy texture.
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6
After the liver has cured, gently wipe away the salt and moisture. Squeeze the creamy contents of the liver out of its thin membrane into a clean, sterilized glass mixing bowl; discard the membrane.
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7
Whisk the liver paste with the remaining sake, mirin, ginger juice, and the calculated amount of sea salt (aim for 5-8% of the total weight of the meat and liver for safety and flavor).
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8
Combine the dried squid strips with the liver mixture. Add the yuzu zest, shichimi togarashi, and sliced chili. Stir thoroughly with a sterilized spoon until every piece of squid is coated in the creamy sauce.
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9
Transfer the mixture into a sterilized glass jar, leaving about an inch of headspace. Press down to ensure the squid is submerged in the liquid to prevent oxidation.
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10
Store the jar in the refrigerator. For the first 3-5 days, open the jar once a day and stir the contents with a clean spoon to aerate and ensure even fermentation.
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11
Taste the Shiokara after day 3. It is ready when the sharp saltiness has mellowed into a rich, savory, and slightly sweet 'ocean' flavor. The texture should be slippery yet firm.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use the freshest sashimi-grade squid possible; the liver must be firm and not foul-smelling. Sterilization is key: boil your jars and spoons to prevent bad bacteria from taking over the ferment. If the mixture smells 'rotten' rather than 'pungent and fermented,' discard it immediately. You can adjust the salt level, but do not go below 5% of the total weight, as salt is the primary preservative. For a milder flavor, add a tablespoon of rice koji, which introduces enzymes that break down proteins into sweet amino acids.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve a small dollop atop a steaming bowl of plain white short-grain rice. Pair with a glass of dry, cold Sake or a glass of crisp Japanese lager to cut through the richness. Use it as a 'secret ingredient' topping for a baked potato with a pat of unsalted butter. Enjoy as a classic 'Otsumami' (snack) alongside chilled cucumber slices or daikon radish sticks. Mix a small amount into a pasta carbonara for an incredible oceanic umami boost.