Matoudai Nigiri (John Dory Sushi)

Matoudai, or John Dory, is a fish that you will rarely see at sushi restaurants, but every once in a while it may be served as matoudai nigiri as part of an omakase meal. In truth, this fish is much more popular in the south of Japan, especially around Okinawa where it is served as sashimi. However I also think it makes a great nigiri topping when prepared well, and the beautiful, firm flesh makes for great presentation.

This recipe for John Dory nigiri also includes a fish butchery guide so if you prefer to make sashimi instead hopefully this post will still be useful. Matoudai is one of my favorite things to serve as even most Japanese have not tried it at sushiya before and I always love to see their pleased reaction.

What Does John Dory Taste Like

John Dory is the English name of this fish, although like with many animals there are multiple colloquial names. The scientific name is Zeus faber, and in Japanese it is matoudai. John Dory has a pleasant, mellow flavor with a firm texture. It is similar to kampachi (greater amberjack) in both taste and texture, although it might just be a little more sweet.

Can You Eat John Dory Raw

In Japan, matoudai is often eaten raw as sashimi. As it is a saltwater fish there is naturally less chance of parasites, although one should always be careful. Unlike fish such as tuna or salmon, John Dory / matoudai, is rarely frozen. It is common for fishermen to get it as bycatch and simply cut it up for themselves while on the boat.

Due to the type of meat this fish has, you can also prepare it in a few different ways. One of my favorites is to use kombujime, which is to gently cure the meat between two pieces of salted seaweed (kombu).

How To Make Matoudai Nigiri

Prepping The John Dory (And Roe)

John Dory is a rather weird looking fish. It is quite tall but skinny, a bit like an emaciated snapper. An interesting thing about this fish is the external spiky protrusions along the top and bottom ridges. Take care not to nick yourself as you cut the fillets.

The first thing to do is to cut out the gills and remove the innards. I was very lucky with this fish as it was full of eggs. While not a commonly used roe like ikura (salmon) or masago (capelin), the eggs of a matoudai are edible and delicious.

To make the eggs, first remove them from the membrane into a clean bowl. Add about three tablespoons of soy sauce and then enough water just to cover the eggs. Gently stir and set aside. These will be used to top the nigiri later. Also make sure to save the liver as it will be used for my special matoudai nikiri.

The best way to prepare a John Dory for nigiri is by using a deba knife. This Japanese knife is excellent as prying the flesh from the bone, reducing the amount of waste you will create.

Use the knife to remove the head of the fish, then with the fish on its side make a cut right below and above the spikes on the top and bottom respectively. Angle your knife at around 45 degrees and cut in deeper to open up the fish, and then make a final, deep cut that goes all the way to the spine. So, three cuts on the top and three on the bottom and you will easily be able to remove the entire side of fish.

Once you have the two sides cut away, use your knife to remove any bones around the belly area, or the membrane as it is not good for sushi or sashimi.

You can divide the fillets into 6 strips that come apart quite easily. The way the matoudai fish is structures has two firm strips on the top and one firm triangle on the bottom for each side. The bottom can be used for nigiri, but it is best just cut in half and made into sashimi as the shape can be difficult to prepare.

The top strips have beautiful striations that showcase the nikiri very nicely.

When you are ready to make the nigiri you can finish up the roe as well. Simply pour the roe through a kitchen cloth (in Japan it is a fukin) and allow the liquid to drain. You can gently tighten the fabric to squeeze out excess moisture, but not too hard. Apply as little pressure as possible.

Matoudai Nikiri

Nikiri is a type of soy sauce reduction that is brushed on top of the nigiri before serving. This way you do not have to dip the piece into a shoyu dish yourself.

This nikiri is actually my special matoudai sudachi ponzu For this recipe I suggest heating up soy sauce, mirin, sake and a piece of kombu just until it begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Then remove the kombu, take off the heat, and allow to come to room temperature. Whisk in the saved liver of the fish along with 2-3 drops of sudachi citrus.

After forming the nigiri brush on a little of this nikiri before topping with some roe and zested sudachi (or whatever you want to do of course).

Steps

1. Place the piece of matoudai between the palm and fingers of your left hand (reverse if you are left handed)
2. Form the shari (rice) with your right hand.
3. Use your hand and fingers to form the nigiri, creating a nice seal between the rice and fish, and expanding the beautiful cut work.
4. Brush with the homemade nikiri and top with the roe and some grated sudachi citrus (optional).

For a matoudai nigiri such as this I do not recommend putting wasabi between the fish and rice, although you can if you want. If you wanted to add something in between you could reserve some of the liver and add a little piece when forming the matoudai nigiri.

Sushi Terms Used In This Article