Celebrate Fish Week with Umami Recipes | Press

São Paulo, September 2015 – Between September 3 and 9, Brazil celebrates Fish Week, now in its 12th edition. To mark the occasion, the Umami Committee prepared three recipe options that are a great opportunity to experience Umami, the fifth basic taste of the human palate.

Fish is good for your health
Fish is easily digested and can bring benefits such as improved memory, increased concentration, and disease prevention. In addition, it contains the nucleotide inosinate, one of the three substances responsible for providing Umami, along with glutamate (an amino acid) and guanylate (another nucleotide). For this reason, the fifth taste can be perceived quite strongly in this food.

Bacalhau Casserole and Salmon with Vegetables are tasty and healthy recipes. In addition, the Saint Peter with Capers developed by the Umami Committee demonstrates how monosodium glutamate, the additive that provides the Umami taste, can be a great ally in cooking and sodium reduction, since it contains only one-third of the sodium found in table salt.

Try them at home and see for yourself how these recipes are truly #hummami!

For more recipes and information about the Umami taste, visit: www.portalumami.com.br

Bacalhau Casserole

Ingredients

• 500 g of potatoes, cooked “al dente” and sliced
• 1 kg of codfish steaks, soaked, blanched, and coarsely shredded
• ½ medium green bell pepper, seeded and sliced (100 g)
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced (300 g)
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced (100 g)
• ½ cup of pitted black olives (60 g)
• ½ cup of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of salt

Directions

1. In a large rectangular baking dish (35 x 22 cm), greased, layer the potatoes, codfish, bell pepper, tomato, egg, onion, and olives. Drizzle with olive oil mixed with salt. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a hot oven (200 °C / 400 °F) for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the tomatoes soften. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes (+ 30 minutes baking)

Tip: For a quicker and more economical version, you can replace the cod with hake, which doesn’t require pre-soaking—just clean it and assemble the dish, adjusting the salt amount.

Saint Peter with Capers

Ingredients

• 500 g of “Saint Peter” fish fillets
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of AJI-NO-MOTO®
• 5 tablespoons of wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted margarine
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of soaked capers

Directions

1. Season the fish fillets with salt and AJI-NO-MOTO®. Coat with flour.
   In a medium skillet, melt the margarine over high heat.
2. Add the fillets and fry for 3 minutes on each side or until golden.
3. Mix the lemon juice with the capers, drizzle over the fillets, and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes

Tip: “Soaking” means rehydrating or softening a dry ingredient, removing impurities or excess salt by leaving it in cold water.

Salmon with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 kg of thick salmon fillets, skinless
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of cauliflower florets (70 g)
• 1 cup of broccoli florets (70 g)
• 1 medium carrot, sliced (160 g)
• 10 green beans, cut into 3 pieces (100 g)
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of chopped green onions

Directions

1. Season the fish with lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt; refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
2. Place each fillet on a piece of aluminum foil (30 x 25 cm), top with vegetables, and drizzle each with one dessert spoon of the marinating juice and 1 teaspoon of olive oil mixed with the remaining salt.
3. Seal the packets, leaving space inside for air circulation, and bake in a preheated medium oven (180 °C / 350 °F) for about 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
4. Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately in individual portions.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 50 minutes

UMAMI
It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami found specific receptors for this taste on taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main Umami substances. The two main characteristics of Umami are increased salivation and the lingering taste that remains for a few minutes after eating. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.

UMAMI COMMITTEE
The Umami Committee Brazil discusses and promotes topics related to the fifth taste. The Committee has a direct relationship with the Umami Information Center (UIC), a non-profit organization dedicated to research on the subject. To learn more, visit http://www.umamiinfo.com/.