Recipe: Aona no norimaki (boiled greens wrapped in seaweed)
Norimaki needn’t always come as sushi.
So you’re looking for that perfect appetizer – something that looks great, is dead simple to make, and can be enjoyed by omnivores and vegetarians alike. Well look no further. This recipe for aona no norimaki (boiled greens wrapped in seaweed) is all of the above. Not only that, but its about as healthy an appetizer as you can get.
Aona is the Japanese word for green leaf vegetables, which includes such things as spinach, komatsuna and canola blossoms. Spinach and komatsuna were once winter vegetables, but are now available in Japan all year round. Canola blossoms are only found during springtime.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 200g spinach or other aona
- 1 sheet toasted nori seaweed
- A handful of bonito flakes (optional)
Method
First wash the spinach, especially the roots, and then drain. Bring 1 liter of water to the boil and add a teaspoon of salt.
Place the spinach into the boiling water, roots first, then boil for 30 seconds so that the leaves turn a bright green. Rinse under cold water. Next, separate the spinach into two equal portions and squeeze well to remove any moisture. Cut off the roots.
Slice a sheet of nori in half, placing it on the maki-su (bamboo mat). Place the first half of the spinach on the nori, leaving 2 cm uncovered at the bottom of the sheet. Now lift the nearest edges of both the maki-su and the nori, and roll away from you. To seal the nori, dip a finger in water and moisten the top edge. Repeat for the second nori roll.
Finally, cut into 2-3 cm portions and serve on a bed of bonito flakes (optional).
Recipe: Hiyashi soumen
With the arrival of summer, Japanese are increasingly looking towards light meals at lunchtime. A bowl of soumen (cold noodles) is one of the most popular ways to relieve the summer heat.
Soumen is traditionally served with a large variety of yakumi, or condiments. While it may be tempting to cut back on the number of different garnishes, it’s worth trying all of the yakumi listed below at least once so that you can better judge which you prefer.
Serve the noodles on ice in a wooden bowl. Pour a little soup into each guest’s bowl and allow them to choose their own condiments, which they mix into the soup. Finally, guests add noodles which they should mix together with the yakumi.
Itadakimasu!!
Soumen
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 3 bunches of dried soumen
- 1-1.5l water
Yakumi (condiments)
- 1-2 mioga (mioga ginger)
- 10 asatsuki chives
- 4-5 green shiso (green perilla) leaves
- 1 package of kaiware daikon (radish sprouts)
- 1 deep-fried tofu pouch
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of sake
- 1 teaspoon of shichimi togarashi (a mixture of red pepper and six other spices)
- 1 clove of ginger
Tsuyu soup
- 2 cups of dashi soup
- 1/2 a cup of soy sauce
- 1/2 a cup of mirin
Method
First prepare the tsuyu soup. Pour the mirin into a pan, place it onto the gas table and bring it to the boil. Add the dashi soup together with the soy sauce and bring it to the boil again. Once boiling, turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
Now for the yakumi (garnishes). Cut the mioga in half lengthwise and then again into thin strips. Rise in a bowl of cold water for a minute then drain.
Cut the asatsuki chives into thin round slices.
Slice the green shiso leaves into julienne strips, rinse them in a bowl of cold water and drain.
Peel the skin of the ginger grate it.
Cut off the root of the kaiware daikon, then cut into halves.
Toast one deep-fried tofu pouch for about one minute. Mix a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of sake and a teaspoon of shichimi togarashi and spread onto one side of the tofu pouch. Toast it again for about one minute until it becomes crispy. Finally, cut the pouch into bite-sized rectangles (12-16).
Bring a bowl of water to the boil and cook the soumen noodles for roughly two minutes (refer to the cooking instructions on the package). If the water rolls up to the edge of the pot, add a half cup of cold water. Once the noodles are ready, rinse them in running fresh water.
Place water and ice in a wooden bowl and arrange the noodles so that they don’t stick together.
Serve the noodles with the tsuyu (soup) and condiments in individual plates or bowls.
Recipe: Suage yasai no okaka itame (deep fried vegetables)
Eggplant, peppers, pumpkin and string beans: a light vegetable dish fit for summer
Summer time is (almost) upon us. In Tokyo, the rainy season (June/July) gives way to days which are long, hot and humid – the perfect time for salads and light vegetable dishes.
Here is an extremely easy deep fried vegetable dish which would suit any summer menu. It only requires a handful of ingredients, and these can be adjusted according to taste. Vegetarians take note: simply skip the bonito flakes and add a little more flavor with a fresh sesame seed garnish.
Deep fried vegetables
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1/4 pumpkin
- 1 red pepper
- 100 g string beans
- 300 – 400 g eggplant
- 600 ml vegetable oil for deep frying
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 – 10 g bonito flakes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- fresh sesame seeds
Method
First remove the pumpkin seeds and cut the pumpkin into wedges 5 – 6 mm thick.
Cut away both ends of each string bean. Next, slice each pepper in half and remove the seeds together with the stems. Slice the peppers lengthways into wedges 1 cm thick.
Now remove the stems from the eggplant and cut into wedges 1 cm thick.
Heat the vegetable oil to 170 degrees centigrade. Deep fry all of the ingredients (without adding butter) until they have turned golden brown.
Remove the cooked ingredients from the deep fryer and drain away any remaining oil.
Now for the sauce. Pour the sesame oil and thinly chopped garlic into a fry pan. Place the pan on a very low heat. Once the garlic has become light brown, add the bonito flakes and soy sauce to the oil and garlic. Mix rapidly and turn off the heat.
Finally, place the deep fried vegetables into the pan and coat them with sauce. Serve with a garnish of fresh sesame seeds.
Recipe: Fresh Strawberries & Japanese Whiskey Sabayon
Rachael White explains how to prepare this delicious seasonal dessert.
As an expat in Tokyo, finding recipes that make one feel “at home” can be challenging. Many recipes westerners are familiar with require the use of an oven (not a common appliance in most Japanese kitchens). This recipe for fresh strawberries with whiskey sabayon fits the bill for a dessert that is: 1) simple to make with basic ingredients that can be found in Japanese grocery stores and 2) does not require an oven.
Strawberries & Whiskey Sabayon: All of the ingredients are commonly found on Japanese grocery store shelves. Photograph: Rachael White
If you have a stove, a whisk, and a little time, you are more than equipped to make this impressive French dessert with a little Japanese flair. Sabayon, or zabaglione in Italian, is a southern French dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, and wine. The ingredients are whipped like crazy to form a light, foamy, creamy topping for fruit, cake, etc. In this case, Japanese whiskey and a touch of vanilla extract replace the wine. Sake would be an excellent substitute as well.
This time of year is especially good for strawberries in Japan. Although they can be found year round in some grocery stores in Tokyo, spring time seems to be when these ruby-red jewels are perfectly sweet and delicious. If they are purchased outside of the season, the texture tends to be hard and the inside is white and nearly tasteless. So, carpe diem and seize the strawberries, friends!
Ingredients (Makes 4-6 servings)
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Japanese Whiskey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 pints strawberries, hulled and quartered
Method
Combine the whiskey, vanilla and sugar in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Put the egg yolks in a medium glass or aluminum bowl. Add the whiskey mixture to the egg yolks and whisk lightly until the egg yolks are just broken. Place the bowl over a double boiler over medium heat. *Note: If you do not have a double boiler it is OK! Just find a heatproof bowl that will fit in the top of a small/medium saucepan.
The most famous Japanese strawberries come from Tochigi and Fukuoka prefectures. Photo: Rachael White
Fill the saucepan/double boiler with about 2 inches/5 centimeters of water. (Make sure the bottom of the bowl is at least an inch away from the surface of the water. If it touches the water, the eggs will scramble.) Whisk constantly for 10-12 minutes until the egg mixture has almost doubled in volume and is light and foamy. The color should change from egg yolk yellow to a light, creamy, pale yellow color. Remove from the heat and the double boiler.
Divide the strawberries into 4 dessert bowls. Spoon the sabayon over the strawberries and garnish with mint leaves.
Recipe: Asian-style roast chicken salad
This Southeast Asian dish is incredibly simple to make. The salad employs one of the great flavor combinations – sesame and roast chicken.
It also contains nam pla, the aromatic Thai fish sauce, which adds depth to the flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute nuoc man, the Vietnamese version of the same thing (although in Japan, nam pla tends to be easier to find than nuoc man – I buy mine at Seiyu supermarket).
Serve with with rice noodles such as pho.
Asian-style chicken salad
Ingredients (for 2-3 people)
- 250g chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons of roasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon of fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc man)
- 2-3 fresh lettuce leaves
- 1 green pepper
- 1/4 of a red onion
Method
Break the lettuce into bite-sized pieces by hand. Thinly slice the onion (against the grain) and cut the green pepper in half and then into thin strips.
Place the vegetables into a bowl, then pour just enough water to cover them. Add 4-5 ice cubes to keep them crispy. Leave these in the water for about ten minutes, then drain.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt and 1 pinch of pepper over the chicken breast and let it sit for for 5 minutes. Next, dribble a teaspoon of Thai fish sauce over the chicken and let it sit for another 5 minutes.
Spread the sesame oil over the chicken breast with a cooking brush (or use the back side of a small spoon). Dust the roasted sesame seeds over both sides of the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 210 degrees Celsius (410 Fahrenheit) and place the chicken on a tray covered in baking paper. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
When the chicken has finished cooking, take it out of the oven and let it cool. Once ready, tear the chicken into bite-sized pieces by hand. Plate the vegetables and then decorate with the pieces of chicken. Garnish with coriander (cilantro to those in North America) and a piece of lemon or lime.
Recipe: Agedashidofu
Agedashidofu is a traditional Japanese dish which combines the chewy texture of deep-fried tofu with the soft texture of the raw ingredient. Such is agedashidofu’s popularity, its commonly featured on izakaya menus up and down the country.
For this dish, either kinu (silk tofu) or momen (cotton tofu) can be used. I prefer the texture of kinu tofu, but momen will be easier if you’re not used to handling tofu.
Agedashidofu
Here sweet green peppers are used to garnish the dish, but chopped asatsuki chives or dried bonito flakes also make an excellent garnish.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 250g tofu
- 200g daikon (radish)
- 1 piece ginger
- 4 tablespoons of cornstarch (katakuriko in Japan)
- 4-6 sweet green peppers as a garnish
Soup
- 100ml dashi soup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
Method
Wrap the tofu in paper towels and place it on a tray. Allow it to stand for about 30 minutes (or longer if necessary) to eliminate any excess moisture.
Grate the daikon and squeeze gently to drain any excess liquid. Now grate the ginger and remove the stems from the sweet peppers. Poke a few holes in these using a bamboo skewer so that they don’t explode when deep-fried.
Cut the tofu into 4 to 6 pieces, then heat a pan of vegetable oil to 170 degrees Celsius (338 degrees Fahrenheit). The oil should be just deep enough to cover the tofu. Now brush the tofu with a light coating of the corn starch and immediately deep-fry until the pieces have turned light brown. Take them out of the pan and place them on a tray to drain.
Quickly deep-fry the sweet green peppers (10 seconds ought to be enough).
Next, pour the dashi, soy sauce and mirin into a small saucepan and bring (what will be the sauce for the dish) to the boil.
Plate the tofu and pour the sauce around the pieces of tofu. Take care not to pour the sauce directly onto the tofu.
Garnish with the deep-fried green peppers, a tablespoon of grated daikon and a teaspoon of grated ginger.
Recipe: Ichigo-shu (strawberry wine)
Stemming from my days as an apprentice brewer at Otter Creek Brewing, and even before that when I was homebrewing, I have a longheld fascination with making tasty beverages.
I’d therefore like to share with you a recipe for making ichigo-shu which can be loosely translated as ‘strawberry wine’.
This liquid treat takes only a couple of weeks to become drinkable, and it if you make a batch today it should be ready to drink by the end of hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season here in Tokyo.
Here’s how it works:
You’ll need a glass jar. My local Seiyu supermarket sells 22cm jars that are adequate for one batch of ichigo-shu (pronounced /ee-chee-go shoe/) . A 22cm jar holds about 1,500 ml (48 oz.) of liquid.
You’ll also need 300 g of strawberries, one whole lemon, 50 g of rock sugar, and 600 ml of 35% alcohol white liquor.
1. Wash and then halve the strawberries. Remove the stems.
2. Peel and then thinly slice the lemon.
3. Put the halved strawberries, lemon slices, and rock sugar in the jar.
4. Pour the white liquor over the top.
5. Wait two weeks (the jar should be kept in a cool, dark place).
6. Strain the liquid into a bottle (a clean, empty wine/shochu/nihonshu bottle works just fine).
* Don’t eat too much of the leftover fruit at once. Think jello shots only slightly healthier. You will lose this battle.
7. Sip and enjoy! This delicious drink can be enjoyed ‘neat’, on the rocks, with a bit of water, or splashed over ice cream or yogurt. Store the bottle in a sun-free area. No need to refrigerate it as ichigo-shu is a distilled beverage.
A quick word to the wise: don’t underestimate the power of this cute little drink. Keep in mind that you dumped more than half of a liter of 35% alcohol in there. Even though it’s very sweet when watered down a little bit, it will go to your head in a real hurry.
Also, make sure to write down what you did and when. That way you’ll be able to adjust things slightly to your liking over a series of batches. For example, you may want to add a little bit of red wine at the beginning of the process to see how that affects the resulting flavor. Just how much you add and when is crucial for recreating that magical batch that you made last time.
Enjoy!
