Dry-Ageing Fish for Premium Sashimi

Dry-ageing fish isn’t new, and it isn’t just a fad. Long before it appeared on restaurant menus, fish was deliberately rested, dried, and aged to improve eating quality. My first experience of dry-aged fish was while dining in a Japanese restaurant some years ago. The sashimi was snapper, and I’d always considered snapper to be a rather chewy sashimi option. This, however, was excellent, and the chef explained the dry-ageing process used to deliver such a delicacy.

Why dry-ageing fish works

In essence, dry-ageing fish is about removing excess moisture to concentrate the flavour and improve the texture. As moisture is removed from the flesh, the esters and compounds that produce what we recognise as flavour become more pronounced but without increasing fishiness. The flesh becomes firmer but less chewy than when it’s super-fresh – no different from red meat.