I want to eat lots of Konbu-jime (kelp-cured fish) ◆ Cooking Log

Do you like Konbu-jime?
I love almost anything that's been cured, like Konbu-jime or cured mackerel.
Have you ever sat in an izakaya, staring at those elegantly plated dishes, and wished you could eat more?
I have.
The best part about cooking for yourself is that you can make as much as you want to eat!

[Ingredients for Konbu-jime]
・A block of your favorite sashimi-grade fish: Buy as much as you want, making sure it has a good shelf life.
　Lately, there's been a lot of red sea bream for sale, which makes me happy!
　Please buy a block with enough shelf life to cover the time it will be resting.
・Dried kelp: Enough to cover both sides.
　I'm not picky; right now I'm using Hidaka kelp.
　I bought a large value bag because it looked like it had plenty of flat, large sheets in it...
・Japanese sake: Enough to dampen a cloth.
　Anything is fine. You can use the sake you're drinking with dinner, cooking sake, or any other kind. This time, I used some ceremonial sake that was sleeping in the fridge...

[How to make Konbu-jime]
1> This time, I bought a block of red sea bream. Lightly wipe off any moisture with a paper towel.
2> Wipe both sides of the flat kelp with a damp cloth. Apply it to the fish from step 1. Place it on both sides like a puzzle to increase the surface area that touches the fish.
3> Wrap it in plastic wrap, place it on a plate, and put it in the fridge. After a few hours, you might want to flip it over. This increases the surface area that touches the softened kelp.
4> Let it rest overnight and it's done! Peel off the kelp (*1 see below), cut the block into your preferred size, and enjoy.

The flavors of the kelp and red sea bream are concentrated and delicious!!!
If it's not salty enough, it's also good with a little extra salt or soy sauce. I usually eat it as is, without anything added.
It really goes well with alcohol.
Maybe I should have made a double batch...

(*1) Finishing with dashi ochazuke

Take the kelp you peeled off the fish and drop it into a pot filled with water.
While you're relaxing and drinking with the Konbu-jime sashimi as a snack,
when you think, 'I want some carbs to finish this off~~~?'
that's the timing to turn on the stove.
In the meantime, put some frozen rice in the microwave.
Heat it until bubbles just start to rise, without letting it boil, and your kelp dashi is ready!
(The kelp used for dashi can also be made into tsukudani, but I'm already tipsy at this point, so I just take it out, let it cool, put it in a Ziploc bag, and freeze it. My sober self will figure it out later. The freezer is filling up with kelp...)
Season the dashi lightly with salt, pour it over the rice in a bowl, and you're back.
Lately, I've been using Rokusuke's Umami Salt for this.
It's an umami boost. It might be a bit of a cheat.
Put the remaining sashimi into the dashi rice, and your Konbu-jime dashi sea bream ochazuke is complete!

I'm a 'nothing added' person when it comes to red sea bream Konbu-jime, but for the dashi ochazuke, I sometimes feel like adding a little wasabi.
I finish my evening drink in a good mood while changing up the flavors.
It was a happy evening drink menu that feels healthy and low in fat.