Capt. Tommy Thompson's Saltwater Angler's Guides

Unless you’re an avid “foodie” you may not have heard about umami, one of the five basic tastes, along with sweetness, sourness, bitterness and saltiness. It’s hard to describe but “savory” or “meaty” seem appropriate.   And you’ve likely experienced umami when you’ve eaten soy-based sauces, smoked fish, mushrooms or Asian foods. According to food historians, the popularity of ketchup is based largely on umami!

From the standpoint of a food chemist, umami has lots to do with glutamates and their relationship with other tastes, especially salty and sweet. From the standpoint of a person taking a bite of food, it’s what makes food “yummy”, sometimes with a tingle on the back of the mouth and throat. That’s the reason monosodium glutamate (MSG) is often added to food in restaurants (not just the Asian ones!) where taste is what brings return customers. And, by the way, there’s a new school of thought that MSG doesn’t create the dramatic allergic reactions once attributed to it. Now you’ll find recommendations that MSG, like other things that make food and drink taste good, sugar and alcohol for instance, be consumed in moderation.

We’ve all seen the ubiquitous menu item, “ teriyaki fish” in restaurants. That’s just the (usually unimpressive) tip of the iceberg with regards to umami-flavored foods. Simply taking a slab of fish and soaking it for 20 minutes in store-bought teriyaki sauce is the easy way out. My advice is that you spend a bit more time with your preparation and kick your food up a notch, using simple Asian ingredients like miso, sake and mirin. All these ingredients combine to make a tasty marinade for seafood, and a savory glaze to finish.

Miso Marinade and Glaze

1/2-cup mirin (sweet rice wine)*

1/2-cup sake (rice wine)*

4 tbs. red miso paste (made from fermented soybeans)*

1 tbs. sugar

3 tbs. vegetarian oyster mushroom sauce *

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil *

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbs. ginger (finely grated or paste)

2 tbs. sesame seeds

Combine all the ingredients, reserving half the sesame seeds for garnish. Marinate firm-fleshed fish (swordfish, tuna, king mackerel, wahoo or cobia), shrimp or sea scallops for about 20-minutes. Don’t soak it too long. While the seafood is grilling (gas is good; charcoal is better), reduce marinade into a glaze the consistency of heavy cream. Spoon or brush the glaze onto the seafood just before serving and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

*These ingredients are available at Asian specialty groceries, but are becoming more and more present on the shelves of larger supermarkets like Publix.