In the Kitchen with a Southern Sushi Chef

Creme Fraiche and Blueberry Sushi?

Summer sushi to contemplate

I’ll admit it. Creme fraiche and sushi are probably as unlikely to be in the same sentence as they are to appear on the same serving dish.  But sometimes when a notion strikes, it’s hard to shake. I find myself giving in, just to see what might happen. Here are a couple of notions that recently paid off.

Tuna Chirashi Zushi with Creme Fraiche and Sweet Crab

Chirashi zushi, where toppings sit artfully atop a bed of sushi rice, is hands down my favorite form of sushi to eat. Chirashi is typically served in a bowl and the bowl is usually large enough to compose the entire meal. I often make chirashi in martini glasses so that there is room to sample other menu items.

For this chirashi, I was feeling light and summery. Tuna, scallions and avocado offered few surprises, but when paired with a few kernels of summer corn, the combo instantly felt more modern. I was thinking of the decadence of toro when I opted to top the glass with a dollop of creme fraiche, a type of thick soured cream. It looked almost dessert like and in the true spirit of decadence, I placed a touch of sweet Tasmanian crab just on top of the creme fraiche.

Kajiki Maki with Blueberry Gastrique

I’m no stranger to pairing fruit with sushi. In the past, I’ve been know to use kiwi fruits, strawberries, pineapples, mangoes, oranges, pears, cherries and more.  But I’d never thought about using blueberries. I was working with kajiki, or blue marlin, and wanted to make a maki that was somewhat sweet since my go to pairings in the past have all been salty. I opted to pair the kajiki with scallions, avocado and toasted almonds. And rather than drizzling a sweetened soy based reduction sauce on top, I decided to use a blueberry gastrique, a thickened vinegar based sauce, which I placed on the plate to avoid discoloring the roll.