‘Backstage Player’ Enhances Sea-Breeze Flavor of Butter-Sauteed Oysters on Shredded Potatoes

By Yasuto Akaike / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:30 JST, December 7, 2025

Oysters are the star of a dish prepared by Akihiko Murata, the chef of Suzunari, a Japanese cuisine restaurant in Tokyo. The main supporting player among the other ingredients is a kind of shiokara called shuto.

Shiokara is the salted and fermented inner organs of sea creatures, commonly squid. But shuto is made with the organs of bonito, tuna or other fish. Murata uses shuto as a seasoning to add the flavor the ocean to his dishes.

“Shuto is the mightiest of all seasonings,” Murata said.

He uses shuto in various ways, such as mixing it with bonito sashimi or adding a little bit to stewed daikon radish as a finishing touch. He thinks shuto gives any flavor greater depth with its combination of saltiness and umami, as well as its aroma.

For this dish, Murata prepared butter-sauteed oysters served on top of finely grated and sauteed potatoes. Shuto is used in the potatoes.

One tip is to grate the potatoes and rinse them well in water. This gives them a crisp texture when done. Spread the grated potato evenly in one half of a frying pan with sesame oil. Then put the shuto on the other side. The point is not to mix them immediately and instead wait until the sesame oil has had time to absorb the umami and aroma of the shuto.

Thoroughly pat the oysters dry before flouring them, so that their surfaces will become nicely crisp when sauteed and will not stick as easily to the frying pan. This also makes it easier to toss them in soy sauce and butter later on.

“I recommend that you saute the potatoes and the oysters at the same time,” Murata said.

This makes it possible to serve the potatoes and oysters together as soon as they are done, filling the whole dish with even more flavor. It is worth trying if you have at least two burners on your stove. Speed is key to this recipe, so it is important to make sure all the ingredients are properly prepared and commit the cooking directions to memory.

When you sit down to eat, put some oyster and potato in your mouth at the same time — the aroma of the shuto will be enhanced, building on the umami of the oysters. The butter and soy-sauce seasoning has a rich flavor while there is also a delicate aftertaste typical of Japanese cuisine. It’s the kind taste that may make you want a drink. A glass of beer or sake would surely be a nice accompaniment to this meal.

Butter-sauteed oysters with shuto-flavored potatoes

Ingredients (for two servings)

• 250 grams oysters for cooking
• 200 grams potatoes
• 1 tbsp bonito shuto
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 10 grams butter
• ¼ lemon
• 2 negi green onions (finely chopped)
• appropriate amount of flour
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp mirin
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp sake
• ½ tbsp soy sauce



Directions:

1. Grate the potatoes. Add the grated potatoes and water to a bowl. Remove starch from the potato by changing the water several times. Drain in a colander.

2. Wash the oysters with water, then pat dry with paper towels. Spread an appropriate amount of flour on a tray and cover the oysters well.

3. Pour 1½ tablespoons of sesame oil into a frying pan and heat. Add the potato evenly on one side of the pan and the shuto on the other side of the same pan. Leave until an aroma arises.

4. Turn up the heat and add the mirin. Then saute everything in the pan quickly to remove excess moisture. Mix in the white sesame seeds and take off the heat.

5. Pour the remaining sesame seed oil into another frying pan, and cook the oysters over medium heat. Turn them over a few times so that both sides are evenly done and nicely colored. Add the pepper, sake and soy sauce to the pan and mix. Melt butter in the pan and toss with the other ingredients. Squeeze lemon over them and take off the heat.

6. Spread the shuto potatoes evenly on a serving dish. Place the oysters on top and sprinkle with finely chopped negi green onion.

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  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  A potato is grated on a slicer.

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  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  Bonito shuto is sauteed on one side of a frying pan while grated potato is sauteed on the other side of the same pan.

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  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  Oysters are cooked in a frying pan until browned on both sides.

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