Striped jack (shima-aji)

Carangue dentue (shima-aji)

What it is

It carries aji in its name and almost nothing of the fish: the horse mackerels are Trachurus, this is a Pseudocaranx, with clean white flesh and none of the blue-fish oil. Wild ones have become scarce enough that nearly every shima-aji on a counter is farmed, and the farmed fish is the fatter of the two — the reverse of what most people assume.

In the kitchen

Its firmness is the whole point, so cut it thicker than aji, about 8 mm, and salt it only at the moment of serving. Ten minutes between sheets of kombu adds depth; leave it longer and the clean edge disappears.

Goes with

Wasabi Shiso Myoga Ponzu Sudachi Kombu Salt

In season alongside

Brousse du Rove Cucumber Grayling Junsai Lettuce Pattypan squash

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