Читать книгу My Japanese Table - Debra Samuels - Страница 11
ОглавлениеBasic Recipes
It is a good idea to make these basic ingredients and keep them in your refrigerator and pantry to make things easier when you cook your way through this book. Many of these sauces have commercial brand equivalents, but many have additives that you don’t get when you make your own. I like the idea of having a big jar of Teriyaki Sauce in my refrigerator, because I don’t hesitate to make recipes that call for it. Making things from scratch also gives you a good base knowledge of your materials, some of which will be new to you. Gambatte! You can do it!
Soy Ginger Vinaigrette
The tang of lemon juice and the zing of ginger juice give this dressing a snappy flavor. I use it on mixed salads to give them an Asian flair. Sprinkle on a combination of toasted sesame seeds and a sprinkle of sea salt or kosher salt just before serving. (The Ginger People manufactures a very good fresh bottled ginger juice that you can substitute for grating ginger and squeezing your own.)
Makes 1 cup (250 ml)
1/2 cup (125 ml) soy sauce, preferably low sodium
1/4 cup (65 ml) canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons ginger juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar, cover and shake. This will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.
NOTE HOW TO MAKE GINGER JUICE
It is easy to make your own ginger juice. Take a knob of ginger and, using a Japanese porcelain grater or microplane or using the smallest holes on a box grater, grate the ginger into a mound. Pick up the grated ginger with your fingers and squeeze to release the juice into a small bowl.
Spicy Mayonnaise
This quick dressing is commonly used for dabbing inside sushi rolls, mixing with fresh and canned tuna, and for use as a dipping sauce.
Makes 1/2 cup (125 ml)
1/2 cup (125 ml) mayonnaise
2-3 teaspoons Sriracha sauce or spicy chili oil (or more, to taste)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce, preferably low sodium
Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.
Wasabi Soy Sauce Dressing
This is a tasty, spicy dressing that is great over simply cooked vegetables like asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, or broccoli. This recipe calls for powdered wasabi, but you can use wasabi paste instead. Dilute in a little bit of water and add to the soy sauce.
Makes 1/4 cup (65 ml)
1-2 teaspoons wasabi powder
2 teaspoons water
1/4 cup (65 ml) soy sauce, preferably low sodium
Add the wasabi powder and water to a small bowl and mix well. Add the soy sauce and mix again. Store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Tofu Dressing Shiro-ae
This seasoned, mashed tofu dressing adds protein to a simple bowl of steamed or boiled vegetables, such as spinach, green beans, or carrots. Tofu is highly perishable, so use it within 1 or 2 days. Silken or soft to medium soft tofu is best, but you can use a firm tofu.
Makes 2 cups (500 ml)
1 block of soft or silken tofu
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds or 1/4 cup (25 g) toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Place the tofu on a plate and microwave for 30 seconds. Drain the water from the plate.
2 Place the sesame seeds or walnuts in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times.
3 Add the tofu, sugar, and salt. Process until smooth.
Akiko's Sesame Seed Dressing
Akiko Nakajima, a neighbor, took me under her wing and introduced me to the daily life of a suburban Japanese family. The term multi-task might have been invented for her. Her rat-a-tat speech and physical speed were hard to keep up with. She showed me all sorts of time saving short cuts in the kitchen. A jar of Akiko’s Sesame Seed Dressing has been in my fridge for 32 years—ever since she taught me how to make it. I use it on steamed vegetables, as a salad dressing, or on steamed fish. The coarsely ground roasted sesame seeds provide a nutty taste and texture. I learned to make it by grinding the seeds in a suribachi, a pottery bowl with grooves. But these days I often make quick work of it in the food processor. Nakajima-san would be proud!
Makes 1 cup (250 ml)
1/2 cup (125 g) white sesame seeds, toasted
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) canola oil
1/4 cup (65 ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 Place the toasted sesame seeds in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 3 times until the aroma is released.
2 Add the remaining ingredients and process for 30 seconds or until the desired consistency is achieved. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. This will keep for several weeks.
Odagiri Sensei's Sanbaizu Vinegar Dressing
This sanbaizu recipe is from my cooking teacher, Odagiri Sensei. Sanbaizu is a classic dressing used often in the vinegary sunomono, which is a part of almost every meal in Japan. "San" means "three," so Sanbaizu means “vinegar plus 3 other ingredients.” Soy sauce, Dashi (Fish Stock), and mirin are the three ingredients in this dressing. A few tablespoons of this dressing transforms a plate of sliced cucumbers, crabmeat, or steamed chicken into a delicious salad.
Odagiri Sensei always added a few more ingredients to make it special. A piece of kelp (kombu) is added to release natural glutamates into the dressing and one pickled plum (umeboshi) contributes a sour tone. These elements are called “hidden flavors” or kakushiaji. (In order to test our taste buds, Odagiri Sensei used to ask us “Can you tell what is in this dressing?” A trained palate would recognize the combination of flavors in this sauce.)
Makes 1/2 cup (80 ml)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce, preferably low sodium
1 tablespoon Dashi (Fish Stock) (p. 35)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon mirin
1 pickled plum, (umeboshi) (optional)
One 2 in (5 cm) piece of kelp (kombu)
Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, Dashi (Fish Stock), lemon juice, mirin and pickled plum if using, in a small bowl. Add the kelp to the bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the kelp and pickled plum.
Crunchy Cucumber Pickles
My friend, Atsuko Fish, made these quick, simple, and crunchy cucumber pickles (shiozuke). Their refreshing taste is a great accompaniment to a Japanese meal.
6 mini cucumbers or one English cucumber
1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt or kosher salt
Dash of sake
Dash of soy sauce, preferably low sodium
1 Wash and dry the cucumbers. If you are using an English cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise and then scoop out and discard the seeds with the tip of a spoon.
2 Rub each cucumber with about 1 teaspoon of the salt and set it in a bowl.
3 Leave the cucumbers in the bowl for about 30 minutes. Remove from the bowl and squeeze any liquid from the cucumbers.
4 Set the cucumbers on a cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise again and then slice into 1/2 -inch (1.25 cm) pieces. Mix with a sprinkle of sake and soy sauce before serving.
Simple Mixed Pickles Tsukemono
Every Japanese meal is accompanied or completed by crunchy pickles (tsukemono) to either enhance the appetite or aid in digestion. Daikon radishes, eggplant, cucumbers, turnips, and Chinese (Napa) cabbage are popular choices. I used to see, in my friends’ kitchens, deep plastic boxes with tops outfitted with what looked like a giant screw with a disc attached. Large heads of Chinese (Napa) cabbage sliced in quarters and salted were placed under the disc. After four turns the disc pressed down upon the cabbage to squeeze the liquid from the vegetable. This is a simple salted pickle (shiozuke) and is the easiest to make. Other styles of pickling can be done with vinegar (suzuke), burying vegetables in rice bran, (nukazuke) and rubbing vegetables with miso (misozuke). the famous sour salted pickled plum (umeboshi) is consumed almost daily.
Although many people used to make their own pickles, and some still do, the high quality of mass-produced tsukemono has reduced that number. However some do contain food coloring and additives. Making your own shiozuke is a snap. For this recipe instead of making one type of vegetable I use a mélange of vegetables. The vegetables are cut into similar sizes and salted to remove excess water. For extra color, I like to use the rotund red radishes or slender French red radishes. Cut the vegetables into similar lengths not only for the aesthetic, but it makes it easier to pick them up with chopsticks.
Makes approximate 4 cups (1 liter)
1/2 head (12 oz-1 lb/375-500 g) Chinese (Napa) cabbage cut into 2 in (5 cm) pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1 x1/4 in logs (2.5 cm x 6 mm)
2 mini cucumbers or half English cucumber, skin on, and cut into 1 x 1/4 in logs (2.5 cm x 6 mm)
6 radishes, cut into 8 wedges
1-1 1/2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
1 Have on hand a very large bowl.
2 Place the Chinese cabbage in a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain and place in the large bowl.
3 Add the carrots, cucumbers, and radishes to the bowl.
4 Sprinkle on the salt and toss together to thoroughly coat the vegetables.
5 Set a piece of plastic wrap on top of the vegetables and place another bowl that fits just inside the larger bowl on top of the vegetables. Take two 1 pound (500 g) cans of food from your pantry and set them into the bowl to use as weights.
6 Set the mixture aside for about 2 hours. Remove the weights. Take a handful of vegetables and in the sink squeeze the excess water from the vegetables. Place the vegetables in a clean dry bowl. Repeat with the remaining vegetables.
7 Store the vegetables in an airtight container for one day before using. They will last for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Serve in small bowls.
NOTE To vary the taste of the pickles just before serving drizzle on
1) Lemon juice and mirin
2) Sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds
Preparing Japanese Rice
Japanese rice (japonica) is a short or medium grain rice and an accompaniment to most meals. I first learned how to make rice properly from my neighbor, Kai-san. With her baby, Keiko, strapped to her back and with Brad strapped to mine, she showed me how to properly rinse, drain, and soak the rice. She taught me to measure the water and rice by placing my hand flat atop the rice. There was enough water when it was just over the knuckles on the back of my hand. Today’s directions on packages of Japanese rice in the United States tell us not to rinse the rice. all my Japanese friends still rinse their rice before cooking.
Soak the rice for at least 20 minutes until the grains plump up and turn white. Depending on the age of the rice, this can take anywhere from 25-45 minutes. After soaking, I drain my rice for 20 minutes before starting the cooking process. When using a rice cooker this step is often eliminated. The newer, and very expensive, “smart” rice cookers have sensors and will time the soaking and cooking with a push of a button. When using the simpler (and more widely available) rice cookers, you have to presoak the rice. In 30 minutes, including steaming time, you will have perfect rice. You can make one pot rice casseroles in the rice cooker by adding vegetables, chicken or salmon. If you don’t have a rice cooker, here is a stovetop recipe that yields excellent results. The rice should be toothsome and sticky, but not mushy. When making rice for sushi, use a little less liquid, as you will be adding a dressing to the hot rice.
If you are in a hurry you can eliminate the soaking, but the rice will be harder. Instead, make more rice than you need and freeze it in plastic wrap while it is still hot. I was taught this by my friend (and coauthor of The Korean Table), Taekyung Chung. Heat them in the microwave for 2 minutes and you have hot steamed rice. Japanese rice cookers come with a measuring cup, a special measure just for rice (1 go) with a volume of 3/4 cup (160 g) (an American cup is 200 grams). The recipes in this book use the standard American measure. For example: 3 cups (600 g) raw rice equals just over 4 Japanese rice cups. If you have a Japanese rice cooker and measuring cup, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Makes 4 cups (approximately 800 g)
2 cups (400 g) short-grain white rice
Water for soaking the rice
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 Put the rice into a large mixing bowl and set in the sink. Run cold water into the bowl, and with your hand, swish the rice around, and then carefully drain the water into the sink. Repeat this about 3 times until the water runs clear. Fill the bowl of rice with water to cover—about 3 cups. Set aside for 20 minutes; the rice will become white and plump. Pour the rice through a sieve and set it aside again for 10 minutes.
2 Combine the rice and the 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Cover with a lid. Cook the rice over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the rice is tender (total cooking time is 20 minutes).
3 Turn the heat off and let the rice sit for 20 minutes more.
Homemade Rice Seasoning Sprinkles
Furikake
We always dress up our plain rice bowl with a sprinkling of this condiment. These savory sprinkles are made from crispy flakes of bonito flakes, seaweed, sesame seeds, dried egg, and teeny white bait. They come in jars or plastic pouches in the condiment section in Asian markets. You can make your own. It is good to have a package of tiny, whole, boiled, and dried fish, chirimen-jako or shirasu on hand. They freeze well and add calcium to a bowl of rice.
Makes 1 cup (40 g)
1 cup (40 g) white bait (dried shirasu/Japanese anchovy or dried, fried white bait simmered in soy sauce, sake and mirin (chirimen-jako)
1/2 cup (125 g) white sesame seeds
Put the dried fish and sesame seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat. With a wooden spoon, gently mix the fish and seeds around the skillet as they brown. This will take about 8 minutes. The fish will turn light brown and become crispy. Store in an airtight container on a shelf. This will last for about 2 months.
Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki sauce is the Swiss Army knife of Japanese sauces. It combines many of the elements that, when combined, makes this sauce and anything on which it is used as identifiably Japanese. Once the sauce cooks, it thickens slightly to a glossy mixture. Brush this sauce on chicken, beef, fish, vegetables, and tofu for a lustrous glaze. I often use Teriyaki Sauce as a marinade before grilling meat (although pork is one of the few meats it doesn’t enhance).
Makes 2 1/2 cups (625 ml) Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes
2 cups (500 ml) mirin
2 cups (500 ml) sake
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 cup (250 ml) soy sauce
6 slices ginger, smashed
1 Combine the mirin and sake in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Continue boiling for 2 minutes. This will cook off the alcohol.
2 Add the sugar and cook until dissolved.
3 Add the soy sauce and ginger and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Turn the heat to medium and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will begin to thicken. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 25 minutes until the sauce thickens to a light syrupy texture.
4 Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep for several months.
Tempura Dipping Sauce
Tensu
This is the classic dipping sauce for tempura. It is sweet and salty, perfect for tempura on its own, and for drizzling over tempura-topped rice bowls. It is mixed with grated daikon for a spicy punch. The daikon also aids in breaking up the oil from the deep-frying and helps with digestion.
Makes 3/4 cups (190 ml)
1/2 cup (125 ml) Dashi (Fish Stock) (p. 35)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin Salt to taste
Add the Dashi (Fish Stock), soy sauce, and mirin to a medium pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, add salt to taste. Remove from the heat and cool before storing in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. This will keep for 2 weeks.
Sweet Miso Sauce Dengaku
This sweet miso sauce, called dengaku, is used for grilled and boiled foods. I learned to make this sauce from Odagiri Sensei and it soon became a favorite. It combines the salty taste of miso with the sweetness of sugar and mirin. The sauce is cooked to meld the flavors and then is spread on top of eggplant, tofu, and scallops, which are then grilled. I pass the vegetables under the broiler for a caramelized finish. You can use a combination of red and white miso, or just white for a milder flavor.
Makes 1/2 cup (125 ml)
3 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons mirin
1 tablespoon sake
2 tablespoons Dashi (Fish Stock) (p. 35) or water
In a small saucepan add the miso, sugar, mirin, sake, and Dashi (Fish Stock). Heat over low heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it sit. When it has cooled, store in an airtight container and let sit for 20 minutes.
Quick Tonkatsu Sauce
This thick, sweet cousin of Worcestershire Sauce is used with fried dishes, like Fried Pork Cutlets (Tonkatsu) (p. 104), and is mixed with fried noodles like Fried Noodles with Cabbage and Pork (p. 94). The popular commercial brand, Bull-Dog Vegetable and Fruit Sauce, comes in a plastic rectangular bottle with a white cap, and there’s always a bottle in my fridge. Once only available in Asian grocers, it has now crossed over to many well-stocked supermarkets. Should you not be able to find it, make this simplified version using Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and grated apple. The standard Worcestershire sauce available in American markets is more peppery than its Japanese counterpart.
Makes 2/3 cup (160 ml) Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 5 minutes
1/2 cup (125 ml) Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons grated apple (skin on)
1/4 cup (65 ml) water
Combine the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sugar, and apple in a small saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and simmer another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the water.
Debra's Shiso Pesto
I have a shiso bush that looks like it was fed steroids, but all it gets is great sun and water. With the end of September bearing down, there are still hundreds of beautiful, tasty leaves on it. You can’t freeze them, because they turn black, and there are just so many you can press on your friends. Then I remembered what the Italians do with hyperactive basil plants at the end of the season. They make pesto! Why not shiso pesto? I combine shiso, pine nuts, canola oil, and soy sauce, and a little lemon juice and blend it in my food processor. The scent of fresh cut shiso is terrific and the thought of having that taste throughout the year is almost more than I can bear. I use this pesto on soba noodles, grilled chicken, and tofu.
Makes about 1 cup (250 g)
20-30 shiso leaves (1 oz)
1/4 cup (65 ml) canola oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup (65 g) pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 teaspoons soy sauce, preferably low sodium
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Place the shiso, oil, salt, pine nuts, soy sauce, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Pulse about 5 times until the shiso is finely ground. Store the mixture in a glass container. This will keep in the refrigerator for more than 3 months.
Kyoko's All-Purpose Dashi Soy Sauce Concentrate
One day, when my old friend, Kyoko Wada, was sitting in my kitchen, I asked her to taste a packaged dashi soy sauce that had been recommended by another Japanese friend. She dipped the tip of her pinky in the spoon I proffered and in an emphatic tone said, “You can make this!” Her recipe for this multi-purpose soy sauce concentrate includes bonito flakes, shiitake, and kelp. Use one part sauce, and mix it with three parts water as a base for noodle soups, tofu dishes, simmered vegetables, and salad dressings. And, yes, it is better than the pre-made sauce. Never one to waste a scrap, Kyoko makes a delicious condiment from the steeped leavings of the sauce, which is great when mixed into hot rice or soup.
Makes 1 3/4 cups (400 ml)
1 cup (250 ml) soy sauce, (preferrably low sodium)
1/2 cup (125 ml) mirin
1/2 cup (125 ml) sake
One 4 in (10 cm) kelp (kombu)
2 dried shiitake
1 handful of bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
1 Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, kelp, and shiitake in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and immediately turn off the heat.
2 Add the bonito flakes and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes.
3 Place a sieve over a bowl and pour the sauce into the sieve. Let the mixture cool. Pour into a jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Kombu Shiitake Mix
1 Separate the kelp, bonito flakes, and shiitake.
2 Roughly chop the kelp into small dice-sized pieces. Place them in a saucepan.
3 Remove the stem from the mushroom and discard. Chop the mushroom into small dice-sized pieces and add to the seaweed.
4 Roughly chop the bonito flakes and add to the kelp mixture.
5 Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 cup (65 ml) water to the pan.
6 Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and then reduce the heat. Stirring occasionally, simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep for several weeks.
Black Sesame Seed Salt
Goma Shio
This simple combination of toasted black sesame seeds and kosher or sea salt livens up a rice ball, a bowl of rice, or a salad. Sprinkle on steamed vegetables for contrast and flavor.
Makes 1/4 cup (30 g)
1/4 cup (30 g) black sesame seeds
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 Spread the black sesame seeds evenly in a single layer in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2 Gently heat the seeds, shaking back and forth until you hear them begin to pop and their aroma is released. This takes about 5 minutes.
3 Let the seeds cool down and then transfer them to a small bowl. Mix with the salt and store in a glass spice jar. They will last for several months at room temperature.
Seasoned Rolled Omelet Tamago Yaki
This is, literally, an egg roll. Eggs, Dashi (Fish Stock), sugar and salt are beaten and then cooked in a special rectangular pan to make a multi-layered, thick omelet log. This rolled omelet is sliced and served cold in lunch boxes, as well as used inside and on top of sushi. Build up the log one layer at time by adding small amounts of the egg mixture to the pan and rolling the growing omelet back and forth in the pan each time you add a layer of batter. It does take a bit of practice, and having the right equipment helps. You can easily find rectangular skillets in a well-stocked Asian grocery. However, I have made the log, with success, in a round skillet by trimming the edges to make a log shape. For a quick version, my friend, Junko Ogawa, demonstrated how to cook this in a regular round-shaped non-stick skillet and then cut it into wedges. She makes this for her daughters’ bento lunch box.
Makes one 2.5 x 5-inch (3.5 x 7.5 cm) thick roll
4 large eggs
1/2 cup (125 ml) Dashi (Fish Stock) (p. 35) or water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 Beat the eggs, Dashi (Fish Stock), sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2 Pour the oil into a rectangular, non-stick Japanese omelet pan or a small 6-8 inch (7.5-9 cm) skillet and heat over medium low for 30 seconds. Wipe the oil out with a paper towel and set it in a dish next to the stovetop.
3 Take about 1/4 cup (65 ml) of egg mixture and pour it into the hot pan and tilt it around the pan to cover the surface. Let it set for about 30 seconds.
4 With a rubber spatula or pair of chopsticks, pick up the edge furthest from you and roll it forward forming a little log. Now push it back to the opposite side of the pan.
5 Rub the oil-soaked paper towel over the bottom of the pan. Pour in another 1/4 cup (65 ml) of the mixture into the pan. Lift up the roll and tilt the pan so the egg slides under the roll. Let it set for a few seconds and then roll the omelet forward with your spatula or chop-sticks. Your roll has gained another layer.
6 Push your roll back and repeat with the remaining batter. Continue with this until you have completely used up the eggs. This will take about 6 rounds.
7 This step is optional but helpful in giving shape to your roll. Turn the omelet onto a bamboo rolling mat (or piece of parchment paper), if you have one, and wrap the roll snugly into the mat. Set aside for 20 minutes. Remove the mat. The roll is ready to cut or to place in plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to use. Cut into 6-8 slices.
NOTE TO CUT FOR SUSHI ROLLS
Make long logs for sushi rolls by cutting the roll in half length-wise. Then cut each half into about four 1/4 -inch (6 mm) strips for a total of 8 strips.
Seasoned Egg Shreds
Use these shreds on Scattered Sushi Rice Salad (p. 50) or instead of the egg strips used on sushi rolls. Place a heaping line of the shreds alongside the ingredients on a maki-zushi roll.
1/2 recipe for Seasoned Rolled Omelet
1 Fry one quarter of the egg mixture in a small hot skillet that has been lightly greased. Spread into a thin crepe and cook just until bubbles appear. Turn over and then transfer to a plate and continue until all the egg is used. Stack the crepes and cut into shreds.
2 Repeat with the remaining egg mixture and stack one pancake on top of another. Cut the stack of egg pancakes into shreds. Set aside.
Seasoned Egg Wedges
Makes one 6-inch (15 cm) round, cut into 6-8 wedges
1 recipe for Seasoned Rolled Omelet
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 Add oil to a non-stick 6-inch (15 cm) skillet with a lid, over medium heat for 1 minute. With a paper towel, wipe out the oil.
2 Pour in the egg mixture and bring it to a bubble.
3 With a flexible, heat resistant rubber spatula, pull the edge of the omelet from the pan and tip the loose egg mixture over the edge of the omelet and back underneath the omelet. Continue to do this until most of the mixture is set.
4 Cover the pan with the lid and cook for 1 minute or until the egg is set.
5 With a wide spatula carefully lift and flip the omelet over and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes. Slide the omelet onto a plate and let stand for several minutes before cutting. Or refrigerate and cut when it's cold.
6 Cut the round into 6-8 wedges and set into individual paper or silicon cups for a bento lunch or picnic.
Sweet Simmered Mushrooms
This dish, more than almost any other, embodies the essence of Japanese flavors for me. Japanese use this tasty soaking liquid to cook the mushrooms as well as in other dishes. The classic combination of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake are combined with the liquid and cooked with the mushrooms until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Depending on the thickness of the mushrooms, soaking time can be between 20 minutes and 1 hour. When I first learned how to make these from my cooking teacher, Odagiri Sensei, I cooked the mushrooms whole in the seasoning liquid and then sliced them. My friend, Kyoko Wada, showed me a shortcut that is particularly useful when making sushi rolls, hand rolls, and the Scattered Sushi Rice Salad (p. 50) that uses these mushrooms. Kyoko slices the mushrooms first and then cooks them. Every crevice picks up the seasonings. They are earthy, salty, meaty, and sweet—an intense and evocatively Japanese combination.
Yield: 4 oz (125 g)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: Approx. 15 minutes
8 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water, reserve liquid
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 Place the dried mushrooms and water in a medium size bowl. Soak the mushrooms for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft.
2 Remove the mushrooms from the liquid and rinse under cold water. Reserve the soaking liquid. Cut off the stems and slice the mushrooms into 1/4-inch (6 mm) slices. The size generally depends on the recipe. Sometimes the mushrooms are left whole.
3 Carefully drain the soaking liquid.
4 Combine the mushrooms, and sugar in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, melt the sugar. Add 1 cup (250 ml) of the soaking liquid, sake, and mirin and simmer for 5 minutes.
5 Add the soy sauce, increase the heat and cook, frequently stirring until the sauce is completely absorbed into the mushrooms. This will take about 10 minutes. The mushrooms are now ready to use in recipes. They can be cooked whole as well.
NOTE I always reconstitute more mushrooms than I need for a recipe. I take the whole reconstituted, uncooked mushrooms and place 6-8 inside a plastic bag, press out the air, seal, label with the date and freeze. They are great to have on hand when you don’t have time to wait for mushrooms to soak.
Dashi Dried Katsuo Flakes and Kelp
Dashi (Fish Stock) is the cornerstone of Japanese soups, sauces, and many dishes. There are no bones to roast, no hours of simmering making it an easy and flavorful stock to make from scratch. All you need is dried bonito flakes (katsuo bushi). Ichiban dashi (“first stock”) results from the steeping of the first batch of ingredients and is good for clear soups. Niban dashi (“second stock”) is made from the left over kelp and bonito flakes that still retain some of their flavor and is good for miso and noodle soups. I generally use first stock for most recipes. Double the recipe for ichiban dashi and freeze some of it in 1-cup (250 ml) bags for soups or in mini muffin tins (about 2 tablespoons) or in ice cube trays (1 tablespoon).
The fresh Dashi (Fish Stock) will last for several days in the refrigerator. Although I have encouraged you to make this stock from scratch, most people either use convenient premeasured packets or buy the perfectly serviceable hon dashi (dashi powder) and either dilute it for soups or add it directly to dressings and sauce. These powders often include sugar and MSG.
Makes 1 quart (1 liter)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes (including time for fish flakes to settle in the water)
4 cups (1000 ml) of water
Two 5 in (12 cm) strips kelp (kombu)
1 heaping cup (30 g) loosely packed bonito flakes (hanakatsuo)
1 Add the water and kelp to a medium size pan. Let the flakes settle to the botom of the stock, which will take about 3-5 minutes. Then bring the water and kelp to a boil over medium heat.
2 Toss the flakes into the boiling water and turn off the heat. Let the flakes settle to the bottom of the stock, which will take 3-5 minutes.
3 Set a tightly woven mesh strainer over a mixing bowl. Line the sieve with a cheesecloth or a linen dish towel. Pour the stock through the strainer. Reserve the fish flakes and kelp for making niban Dashi, or a tasty tsukudani.
