Olive flounder (hirame)

Cardeau hirame

What it is

Japanese cooks separate the two flatfish with a rule: hidari-birame, migi-garei — head towards you, hirame's eyes are on the left, karei's on the right. The two strips of frilled muscle that drive the fin, the engawa, are cut away and sold separately, often above the price of the fillet.

In the kitchen

Hirame is too firm and too lean to slice thick. Cure the fillet two hours in kombu, then cut usuzukuri thin enough to read through, on one long draw of the blade rather than a sawing motion.

Goes with

Kombu Ponzu Sudachi Wasabi Koikuchi shoyu Shiso Junmai sake Salt

Also used with

Hojiso (shiso flower spikes)

In season alongside

Pauillac lamb Japanese tilefish (amadai) Lily bulb Haddock John Dory Lemon sole

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