10 years in the making – Trumpman’s “I see! The Seafood Curry” recipe, which was first published in Japan.

The supreme taste arrived at through repeated “flavor illusions” in the kitchen

Tramp Man is making curry…?

The FRIDAY Gourmet team was horrified by the out-of-this-world atmosphere when they stepped into the kitchen studio in Tokyo.

In the middle of the room filled with spicy aroma, a white-coated man in a shiny gold hat and a shiny crimson jacket like a bullfighter was stirring a pot with all his might.

This gentleman, who did not look like a chef at all, was the man who appeared on “I see! The World” (Fuji TV), he is a magician and a tramp.

Dressed in a rare apron, the Tramp Man grinned with satisfaction as he finished tasting the dish with a quick dip of the ladle in his mouth.

Was this reality or an illusion? When he noticed the puzzled reporter, Trotman replaced the ladle with a pen and wrote a few words in his sketchbook.

Please try the ultimate seafood curry I’ve invented. Then we’ll talk about it.

The next moment, a “work of art” appeared in front of our eyes, which we could tell at first glance was no joke. It was salmon roe, dried bonito flakes, and sauteed swordfish on a bed of white rice.

I immediately took a bite. The rich, thick roux was well mixed with the scallops, shrimp, and other seafood. The flavor of the seafood can also be felt. The ingredients are not overpowered by the strength of the roux. The salty flavor of the salmon roe and the dried bonito flakes as toppings are in harmony with the whole dish, while retaining a “Japanese” flavor.

I couldn’t help but ask Tramp Man, who smiled broadly when he saw our surprised expressions.

Why is Tramp Man making curry?

Recipe for a “tannery.

Trumpman penned, a little frustrated.

‘It’s not just any curry. It’s a curry that makes the most of seafood.”

Immediately after, it was showtime. He started cooking from scratch. In addition to the usual seafood curry ingredients, salmon roe, swordfish, crab, canned tuna, and other ingredients were lined up on the table.

First, the vegetables were chopped roughly and lightly cooked, then placed in a pot with less than the recommended amount of water. Next, the shrimp and scallops are sauteed in butter. However, they are not added to the pot, but set aside, and the swordfish and crab are cooked.

–Do you fry seafood in butter to take advantage of the flavors?

…………”

Next, the roux is added and simmered. Here, too, we could see the particulars. He mixed commercially available “Java Curry” with apple paste and 100 liters of white wine.

After letting the mixture simmer for a minute, the extract from the shrimp and scallops was added to the pot!

–The result is a delicious sauce that is easy to make and tastes great!　Thanks to this flavorful extract, you could taste the seafood flavor throughout the roux. Is the reason why you use less water and add white wine instead, to bring out the best of the seafood?

…………”

–Only the squid is marinated in vinegar instead of grilled, is this also to bring out the flavor of the squid?

…………”

Finally, Trumpman added canned tuna, shrimp and scallops and lightly simmered them. In this way, the aroma of the roux and the flavor of the seafood coexisted, and the ″ultimate superb seafood curry″ was completed. Finally, the chef served the dish with salmon roe, sauteed swordfish and crab, vinegared squid, and dried bonito flakes.

When he finished eating, Trotman bowed his head and said, “I couldn’t write during the cooking, so I apologize for ignoring you.” With pen in hand, he unfolded his sketchbook and began to reveal the story once again.

It took me ten years to find this recipe. I like both curry and seafood, but in most of the seafood curries I have had, the seafood was overpowered by the roux. I wanted to have a curry that would bring out the flavor of the seafood while not overpowering the presence of the roux, so I began my research.”

Curry and magic are one and the same.”

Along with the development of magic, Tramp Man stood in the kitchen. But the road to perfection was not smooth.

The hardest part was the roux,” he said. I tried blending commercially available roux, making it from spices, and so on, but the flavor of the seafood was lost. After much deliberation, I came up with the idea. I thought to myself, “Let’s think more simply, just as we do when creating magic.

I used “Java Curry,” which goes well with seafood, as a base, and added apple paste to add sweetness. Then, to prevent the seafood from being overpowered by the sweetness, I added seafood broth, white wine, and butter to give it a rich flavor.

He says he recently discovered that salmon roe adds just the right amount of saltiness, while dried bonito flakes are used as an accent to bring out the flavors of the seafood more.

I think cooking is all about repeating trial and error and striving to get closer to the “best” that you have inside you,” he says. There are many similarities between making curry and magic.”

Trotman’s inquisitiveness never stops.

I am interested in whale meat as a new ingredient. I’m not trying to be eccentric, but I think the meat is refreshing and goes really well with the roux. But, of course, there is a possibility of failure (laughs).

I have never been able to make a 100-point curry. I have never been able to make a 100-point curry, and I am never perfectly satisfied with magic either. In that sense, it’s the same. I will continue to study until one day I get a perfect score.”

The reporter did not miss the glint in the eyes behind the mask. It must be this insatiable inquisitiveness that has kept Trotman at the forefront for more than 35 years since his debut.

This is Trampman’s ultimate superb seafood curry!

In addition to common ingredients such as onions, carrots, potatoes, scallops, and shrimp, the dish also includes rare seafood. After the vegetables are sauteed, the seafood is cooked in butter (②). For the roux, soup stock made from shrimp and scallops is added to bring out the flavor of the seafood! White wine, which goes well with seafood, is used to add richness (③). Simmer lovingly until thickened, and serve with the remaining seafood to complete the dish!

From the June 27/July 4, 2025 issue of FRIDAY