Deadly and illegal fish goes on sale at restaurants, but for secretive members-only

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A select and secretive members-only club has been formed to allow brave eaters to consume the deadly and illegal tiger blowfish, a reef species that when in danger quickly trebles its size by gulping seawater.

 

Known as tiger fugu, it is part of a general group of ‘puffer fish’, hunted by Japanese inshore fishermen, and is also farmed in seawater cages.

 

The puffer poison is tetrodoxin. A pinch of the white powder – about the amount found in a prime-sized tiger fugu – is enough to kill more than 30 people. The estimated lethal dose for an adult, a mere one to two milligrams, could be put on a pinhead.

 

Fugu Supper Club will offer London foodies the chance to try the Japanese delicacy at undisclosed locations, reveals the London Evening Standard.

 

Japanese chefs spend two years learning how to prepare the dish, removing the toxic parts of its anatomy while avoiding contaminating its edible flesh.

 

The best chefs fillet the fish in such a way that a safe amount of poison remains in the meat to create a mild euphoria. However, the delicacy is so dangerous it is banned for sale across Europe.

 

The club hopes to avoid legal issues by serving the dish to private diners only.

 

The club says on its website: “With our unique source of supply we are able to bring small amounts into the country for personal consumption at our private dinners.”

 

The Supper Club meetings will take place at locations ranging from a grand mansion to an unoccupied gallery space.

 

Those who attend can expect a champagne reception and six courses, most of which will feature the ingredient, as well as wine, sake, Japanese beer and Japanese whiskey, for a “donation” of £250.

 

An organiser told the Evening Standard: “Strict fishing regulations are now in place to protect the fugu population found around Japan therefore our dinner schedule is determined by our ability to source the finest fugu for our supper club.

 

“With a complex texture and immensely subtle flavour, Fugu is prized by gourmets the world over not just for its thrill-factor but its unique, delicious character – it is quite simply the ultimate food experience,” the club says.

thisisdevon.co.uk