‘Surimi’ means ‘finely ground fish meat (or other seafood)’ in Japanese. Fish Balls, ‘Chikuwa’ (tube-shape Japanese Fishcake) and Crab Sticks, they are made from Surimi. If you have a food processor, Surimi is easy to make. Home-made Surimi is not necessarily cheaper, but you know exactly what is in it. And variations are endless.
Makes
About 1 cup
Ingredients
200g White Fish Fillets *soft fish recommended, e.g. Cod, Blue Grenadier (Hoki), etc.
1/2 Egg White *optional
1 pinch Salt
2 tablespoons Sake (Rice Wine)
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons Potato Starch OR Corn Starch Flour
Method
- Remove bones and skin from Fish Fillets and cut into small pieces. Place in a food processor, add Egg White, Salt, Sake and Sugar, and process until smooth. Add Potato Starch OR Corn Starch to firm up as required.
- *Note: If you have Suribachi (Japanese Mortar), you can grind this paste further until gelatinous texture is achieved.
- *Note: You can mix extra ingredients such as Ginger, Spring Onion, Vegetables or Mushrooms with this paste, season with extra Salt and Spices, form into balls or bars, and cook in soup or fry in the oil.
Comments
Sue Kelso-Haines
8/11/2023
Hi Hiroko,
I set out to make California Rolls but couldn’t find an imitation crab meat that didn’t have red dye. I was so happy to see your recipe for Surimi. My question… This surimi is raw once you finish the recipe. If I want to make imitation crab forms to put in my California roll, how do I go about cooking and forming the surimi so that it’s ready to use as “imitation crab” in the CA roll? Thank you!
Sue
Hiroko
8/11/2023
Sue, thank you for asking this question. I want to know how if there is a method. Imitation crab forms would be too challenging for home cooks. I would rather steam this paste OR pan-fry it into a chunk, then cut it into strips in the suitable size. If you add real crab meat and process into the paste, this surimi would taste like crab. I have never done that, but it sounds yummy.
DocMartyn
7/08/2023
How do I store and for how long? Refrigerator? Freezer? Thank you!
Hiroko
8/08/2023
It’s basically raw fish. You got to cook it straight away.
DocMartyn
7/08/2023
Thank you!