For an easy and affordable way to enjoy hamachi, try these classic broiled collars aka kama served in Japanese restaurants. You just need a few ingredients, 15 minutes, and plenty of napkins for this satisfying finger food.
Hamachi has a unique buttery, soft texture that is just not like any other fish. The fillets are best enjoyed raw, as in this hamachi crudo., although at a premium price (around $30 per lb I've found.)
Hamachi collars, though served cooked, have a similarly buttery, rich flavor and lots of fat since there is so much collagen around the collar. Unlike their filets, the collars are much cheaper (I've found them for $6 per pound).
Serve these hamachi collars with seasoned edamame or a simple Japanese tofu salad. If you like raw hamachi, definitely try
This is a basic recipe that will work with any type of fish collar. For a more adventurous version, try these fun baked salmon collars.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients for the classic, plain broiled hamachi collars. Since it is such a nice fish, it really doesn't need much else.
- Hamachi - Also known as yellowtail or Japanese amberjack, hamachi refers to the size of the fish. Japanese yellowtail that are classified as hamachi are on average 40 to 60 cm long and have an age of one to three years.
- I find these in Japanese, Korean, and Asian supermarkets in the freezer section, vacuum packed in sets of four or at specialty seafood stores.
- Mirin - A sweetened rice based wine used in so many classic Japanese dishes such as Japanese baked salmon and miso mirin steamed clams.
- The sugar helps the flesh broil and turn golden brown. The alcohol adds freshness to this likely previously frozen and farmed fish.
- If you don't have it, you can skip it or brush with a little melted honey.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Since the broiler is so super hot, the collars are baked first and then broiled at the end to achieve browness.
- Step 1: Preheat the oven and pat dry the collars. Cut off the fins if you wish, there will be 2 of them.
- Step 2: Brush with the mirin. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3: After baking, broil for 2-3 minutes on both sides so the skin gets crispy too. Stay close tot he oven because they can turn black quickly.
- Step 4: Serve with plenty of lemon wedges, napkins, and clean hands.
Hint: Don't forget to watch out for the little shards of bones as you bite.
And If you don't like the skin, you can peel it off. But note that omega 3 fatty acids are concentrated in the fatty layer just beneath the skin.
Air Fryer Method
i really like cooking these in the air fryer because the skin gets crispier. Rather than changing the temperature of the oven to broil at the end, these can just be cooked for 15 minute at 400 degrees in the air fryer.
Start skin side down and flip half way through cooking so the skin stays crispy on top at the end.
Hamachi Fun Facts
- Hamachi is enjoyed in the winter months in Japan, when the meat is higher in fat content.
- Hamachi is rated as a best choice seafood by Seafood Watch. Farmed worldwide in indoor recirculating tanks with wastewater treatment rated green, it is a sustainable fish to consume.
- Hamachi has an average of 3g of Omega 3 fatty acids per 100 g of fish per the University of Hawaii. In the study, samples ranged from 1 - 6 g with the variance due to the quality of the wastewater farm. For comparison, salmon has 1-2.3 g of Omega 3 fatty acids per 100 g.
Recipe
Broiled Hamachi Collars (oven or air fryer)
Ingredients
- 2 ea hamachi collars fins cut off, if desired
- 2 teaspoon mirin see Note 1
- salt for me this is about ⅓ teaspoon salt
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (See Note 2 for air fryer instructions.)
- Pat dry the hamachi collars with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Season the flesh and skin with salt.
- Place the collars onto an oiled or parchment lined baking sheet, skin side down. Brush with the flesh side with mirin, if using.
- Bake for 8 minutes until the fish is about cooked through. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes, skin side up.
- Turn broiler to high and finish cooking the skin until browned (about 1-2 minutes). Flip the collars over to broil the flesh side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool about 5 minutes before eating. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Mirin primarily adds sugar to help with browning and the alcohol adds a little freshness. Substitute with honey or skip all together. It just won't turn as brown.
- Air Fryer Instructions
Nutrition
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