Spring Clean

 My cupboards are fit to bursting.  I am forever buying a new sort of noodle, sauce or spice for some dish or another and it is taking its toll on my already incredibly cramped storage space.  To top it off my Dad has just done his annual Passover trip to Golder's Green, when he feels an over-whelming urge to buy a glut of random food products, simply because they are "Kosher for Passover".  Why a bottle of lemonade or a jar of raspberry jam should ever have been in contact with "Chumetz" (anything which may ferment) in the first place, I have no idea, but he returns triumphant from "the North" with his bounty and distributes it - heaps of boxes of Matzos, several different varieties of pickle cucumber and a selection of arbitrary products, upon my Mother and each of his children and their families. 

I know it is a story of poor Jewish boy done good. I know he sees it as a Mitvah (a good deed). I know he misses shopping for his Mum.  She lived on a measly pension and would have really appreciated him schlepping up to Hendon every week and making sure that she had enough to eat, although she probably never said so.  Nothing makes one value "having" like "not having" and as a child, my Farther would have known what is was like to have gone without.  So I try to appriciate this annual offering of strange things, that I have nowhere to put in my tiny house and every year, about this time I go through my cupboards to see what space I can find.  I like to think of it as a Spring clean. This year on the discovery of several packets of Japenese noodles, I felt much akin to religious Jewish families searching their houses from top to bottom for anything containing wheat or yeast and I simply had to use them up before Passover began.

I had made some chicken soup in my pledge to use up all the chicken bones from out weekly roast chicken, which I now freeze until I have an impressive enough collection to make soup.  Every country in the world seems to have it's own version of chicken soup but one involving Soba Noodles could only be Japanese.  I added some vegetables, dried mushrooms, a little ginger, sesame oil,  miso and chilli.  I found a packet of dried seaweed in the cupboard as well.    Really simple, really quick. A really clean, healthy, restorative soup which will give you a Spring clean as well. 

Chicken Soba Noodle Soup
You can use all sorts of green leafy vegetables in this soup including all sorts of Choi, cabbage or spinach. As for the mushrooms, I used black fungus which don't have much taste but have a great texture but you could use Shiitake.  If you do not have a Japenese supermarket near you, such as Atari Ya, then you can buy most products made by Clearspring in the speciality section in a large supermarket.  Finally, if you are vegetarian, 
just omit the chicken stock, add a little more Miso and you will still have a delicious soup.
2 pints rich chicken soup
A large knob of ginger, julienned
A few teaspoons of soy
1/2 packet Soba Japanese buckwheat noodles
2 bok choi, cut into quarters lenghthways
6 oz. dried Asian style mushrooms
Small handful of dried seaweed (Wakame)
1 tablespoon Miso
1 bunch spring onions
1 fresh red chilli, very thinly sliced
1 lime
Sesame Oil
Togarashi

Heat up the chicken soup with the ginger juice to infuse and season with soy and salt to taste. Add the noddles and Bok Choi and simmer for about 5-7 minutes until cooked. Add the mushrooms and seaweed and simmer until re-hydrated (this takes a matter of minutes). Add a squeeze of lime and a drizzle of sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Top with spring onions and chilli. Divide the soup between bowls and add a dash of Togarashi if using.

A Mean Marinade

Last week I was cooking Tandoori Chicken, because it was the best recipe for marinated barbecued chicken, that I could think of.  This year the supermarket have gone mad for marinades. Supermarkets are permanently on the lookout for new trends. In this way they can spot whatever it is that you like to do, be it barbecuing, growing your own vegetables, making jam or baking cupcakes. Then they repackage it and sell it back to you, at a profit. I hate it.  I don't know why but it almost feels like an invasion of my mind.

Anyway, as summer came with unsubstantiated promises of al fresco eating and barbecues, so the shelves filled up with every marinade ever thought of, from every country in the world. From Argentina to Japan, Morocco to India. Every now and then, I was tempted by some exotic sounding combination, no-doubt lured by some enticing packaging. I momentarily forgot that I could just have easily knocked up whatever marinade it was myself, in about 10 minutes, from ingredients I probably had at home already. Anyway, they were all, without fail, revolting. Too much sugar, too much vinegar, unsubtle flavours, herbs that had become pickled and lost all freshness and zest. So, just to remind myself never to do that again, I have written out a few of my favourite recipes. 

The first is Chimichurri which is a sauce and also used as a marinade for grilled meat. It is originally from Argentina and Uruguay, but is also used in countries as far north as Nicaragua and Mexico.  It is vibrant and fresh with the Paprika adding a smoky note and it works excellently with Steak on the barbecue.  You can use Picante or Dulce Paprika depending on your taste.  I prefer the extra chilli kick.  There is no need to marinade your meat for any length of time.  Just coat your steaks and wait for 10 minutes or so.  The extra marinade can be used as a sauce on the side.

Chermoula is the North African variant for fish. It is almost identical to Chimichurri, but replaces vinegar for lemon juice which is more subtle with delicate fish flavours.  Once again there is no need to marinade for more than 10 minutes.  Just coat and cook.  Never leave fish or meat in a marinade containing salt for any length of time as it will just draw out the juices.



In my opinion, lamb needs nothing more than a combination of olive oil and lemon juice with lots of freshly ground black pepper, loads of Rosemary and garlic.  In this case the meat should be left in the marinade over-night to allow the flavours to penetrate and the lemon acts to tenderise the meat which makes it all the more delicious.  Season with salt just before cooking. 



Finally everyone need a good rib recipe for the barbie season.  I have really battled over the years to find a recipe that I liked.  I found the Chinese one's were often too heavy on the Hoi Sin and the Five Spice (although I do recommend my Char-Siu Pork ) and the American versions, laden with Tomato Ketchup and Malt Vinegar.  So I was delighted to find a fantastic Japanese alternative.  Although this recipe does contain some honey it balances beautifully with the other ingredients. 

A Japanese Barbecue is called a Yakiniku and the meat would be further dipped in a Tare Sauce before eating. Personally I use this marinade to cook ribs which I slow-bake first submerged in marinade for a few hours until the meat is beginning to flake.  I then pour off the excess sauce and reduce it in a pan until you have a sticky, delicious  sauce.  Let the ribs cool before cutting up, so that they don't fall to pieces.  Finally I briefly put them on the barbie until hot and smoky and serve with extra sauce.  You don't have to do this.  It is still delicious served straight from the oven.  Just slow-cook them for even longer.

All of these recipes are dead simple, so there is no need to ever succumb to a marinade in jar ever again.  And with the money that you save you can invest in better meat.  Remember, please try to buy free-range when you can and Organic if possible.  This really is something that is worth the extra money.

Chimichurri Sauce

1 large bunch coriander
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, sweet or spicy
1 fresh red chilli, roughly chopped or 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 small bunch fresh Oregano
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1  cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whiz up all ingredients in a liquidiser or with a hand-held blender until smooth.  Season to taste with salt.

Chermoula

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
3/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon sweet or spicy Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 large bunch of Coriander leaves
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon Ras el Hanout (optional)
1-2 tsp salt or to taste

Whiz up all ingredients in a liquidiser or with a hand-held blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

Harumi's Barbecue Sauce
from Everyday Harumi: Simple Japanese Food for Family and Friends
by Harumi Kurihara

(Personally I whiz this all up with a hand blender which means you don't have to grate anything.)

100ml red wine
2 tbsp honey
70g caster sugar
200ml soy sauce
1 tbsp miso (any type)
60g apple, grated
60g onion, grated
2 tablespoons garlic, grated
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp ground toasted sesame seeds

Put the red wine in a small pan and bring to a boil. Simmer it over low heat for 1 minute to let the alcohol evaporate. Add the honey, sugar, coarse sugar, soy sauce and miso, mix and boil again. When the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat off. When the mixture has cooled down, add the grated apple, onion, garlic and ginger, sesame oil and ground sesame seeds, and mix together.  The flavour will improve if left overnight.  It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Char-Siu Pork and some Tsukune Meatballs

I’ve got a bit of a thing about Cha-Siu Buns.  One main cause of my fascination is that soft, spongy, tasteless white bread, which the Cha-Siu pork is encased in.  Bread that white, is something I always associated with England.  “Ducks Bread” as we called it as children, presumably because it was unfit for human consumption.  So I really was surprised when first confronted, in a Chinese restaurant of some repute, with a Dim Sum consisting of barbequed meat wrapped in a slice of wonderloaf.  Anyway, I have always found Cha-Siu Buns to be delicious but a bit too much wonderloaf and a too little filling.  So I turned to the filling, and last time I was ordering Cantonese, I chose with great anticipation off the menu “Cha-Siu Pork” expecting a mound of delicious sticky, marinated and barbecued pork.  What I got was very disappointing.  A dry, quite flavourless and unexciting fillet of pork.  So, I did some research and discovered that, like Jerk, firstly the meat should really be barbequed or smoked; secondly, it should be marinated for a length of time and thirdly, stabbing or jerking the meat, helped marination. Amazing that two such different recipes from other sides of the world should have come to the same conclusion. 

I don't know why I am surprised but the more I examine traditional recipes from all over the world, so many of them utilize barbequing as its means of cooking.  It is fairly obvious that most houses did not usually have an oven.  I know that in most small villages, the locals used to take their bread and even their casseroles to be cooked in the communal oven or at the local bakers. So it is only natural that a barbeque or a house fire should have been the only means of cooking at home and that it should have remained a popular cooking method ever since.  It especially continues as the main cooking source for street food, where so many local influences prevail. 

However, I think the main factor in creating a fabulous Char-Siu Pork, which I can assure you this recipe unquestionably delivers, is the cut of meat. A cut like loin is really not suitable for Char-Siu, due to the lack of fat, so I strongly recommend a cut like shoulder of pork. Just the right amount of fat and half the price.  Get your butcher to bone it and butterfly it for you if you are not feeling confident with your butchers’ knife. The recipe calls for Red Miso, which I have to admit even I had trouble finding in the most elite of ethnic shops, which is probably why I discovered that it is often replaced with red food colouring.  However, I was determined not to follow suit, so I experimented with Clearspring Organic Japanese Brown Rice Miso which was more readily available.  It worked very well even if the results are not as bright red as they could be.  This recipe is also not barbequed but roast for a few hours in a slow oven.

Since I am on the subject of pork I thought I would share with you another recipe that I tried last week.  Tsukune are little Japanese meatballs, cooked and then marinated with homemade Teriyaki sauce.  They are traditionally made of chicken but I had some minced pork to use up, so I did, and they were delicious.  The kids really liked them and I loved the fact that the adults can dip theirs into the Shichimi Togarashi to spice them up and then add a squeeze of lime.  Yum!

Char-Siu Pork

1.8 kg Pork shoulder, deboned and butter-flied.  Buy the best quality you can afford.

2 tsp Five spice

Black Pepper

4 cm piece ginger

2 cloves Garlic

50 ml soy

50 ml Rice Wine Vinegar

60 ml Honey

2 tablespoons Red Miso

3tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 tablespoons Hoi Sin

                      

Mix all the marinade ingredients together.  I wiz up all the ingredients including the ginger and garlic with a hand-blender until smooth.  Marinade the meat for at least 12 hours, turning every now and then.  Cook slowly with all the juices in a gratin dish covered with tin foil at about 160-170ºC for about 4 hours.  Check every so often, turning the meat over and making sure that there is enough liquid.  Be careful in the last hour that it does not burn.  The meat should be so soft you can flake it with a folk and the juices should have reduced to a sticky glaze.  Shred up the meat, spoon over the sauce and serve with some fluffy rice.

Japanese Tsukune with Teriyaki Sauce

Everyday Harumi by Harumi Kurihara

Ingredients

1 small onion (about 4 oz), peeled

1 stalk celery

10 oz ground meat

Salt and pepper, to season

1 medium egg

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 to 6 basil leaves

For The Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup mirin

4 tablespoons caster sugar

Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying

Shichimi Togarashi

Lime (or lemon) wedges to garnish

To make the teriyaki sauce: Combine the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a pan and slowly bring to a boil. Turn the heat down low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until it has thickened. Skim the surface of any scum if necessary and set aside.

To make the Tsukune: Roughly chop the onion. Remove any stringy parts from the celery and chop it roughly.  Put all the ingredients, except the basil, into a bowl and knead to combine well. Finally, chop the basil into tiny pieces and add to the mixture. It is important to add the basil at the last minute so it retains its colour. Shape the mixture into rounds about 2 inches in diameter. Drizzle a little oil in a non-stick skillet and heat. When hot, add the Tsukune and cook until nicely browned on both sides. Take the cooked Tsukune, dip them in the teriyaki sauce while still hot, and sprinkle with Shichimi Togarashi and lime according to your own preference. Serve with lime or lemon wedges on the side.

Some Asian Influenced Vegetables

We have just had that fantastic mackerel again for dinner but Hugh, the other half, said that he wanted something a bit more substantial than cucumber salad and why did I not make the Char-grilled Broccoli with Chilli and Garlic, which is always a favourite in our family.  I first made this at Baker and Spice, which unfortunately has now been bought out by Patisserie Valerie and has gone hideously downhill, so don't go there! But it was famously where Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi of Ottolenghi met each other ,so it is no surprise that you can find the recipe in their first book.  It really is one of those recipes that somehow manages to taste so much more than its sum of ingredients.  I wish there was a term for that!  Although I am not one to change a classic recipe, I have often made a little addition to this recipe by adding a little sesame oil and a dash of soy, and for this occasion I thought the oriental flavours would lend themselves to the mackerel.  The adapted recipe is below. 

I also have been on a mission to find other uses for the large tub of beautiful Miso in my fridge, so I was thrilled when I discovered Ingénue no goma-ae.  This is a Japanese recipe for green beans in sesame and Miso dressing and is delicious.  I also have a huge supply of sesame seeds, so this is a great way of using them up too.  Incidentally both white and black Sesame seeds are meant to be wonderfully good for you and have made it onto "TheWorlds Healthiest Foods" website!

Next, a very simple dish of Wok-fried Choi Sum is really delicious. Chop the Choi Sum, flowers and all and fry in a little oil. You can add garlic, ginger or chilli to the pan before hand, if you like. Finish with a drizzle of Tamari. Really lovely with some Soba noodles dressed lightly with sesame oil.

Finally, I did mention earlier that I had once had Aubergine baked with Miso. This actually was at a restaurant in Willesden called Sushi-Say, and was a very long time ago, but I still remember it and have been working hard to recreate it for you.  It is well worth the effort.

Char-grilled Broccoli with Chilli, Sesame, Garlic and Soy.

You can try this with purple sprouting broccoli but it does not grill quite as well.  You can toast the broccoli in a hot pan if you do not have a griddle pan or barbeque.

2 heads of broccoli

Glug of olive oil

4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

2 mild red chillies, thinly sliced

Coarse sea salt and black pepper

Soy sauce to finish

Few drops sesame oil

Prepare the broccoli by cutting lengthways through the stalk in wedges.  This is important as when you char-grill the pieces it needs to have the most surface area possible.

Fill a very large saucepan with plenty of salted water and bring it to the boil. Throw in the broccoli and blanch for 3 minutes only. Don't be tempted to cook it any longer! Using a large slotted spoon, quickly transfer the broccoli to a bowl full of ice cold water. Drain in a colander and allow to dry completely. In a mixing bowl, toss the broccoli with 45ml of the olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place a ridged griddle pan over a high heat and leave it there for at least 5 minutes, until it is extremely hot or use your barbecue. Depending on the size of your griddle, cook the broccoli in batches. Turn them over so they get char marks all over.

 While grilling the broccoli, place the rest of the oil in a small saucepan with the garlic and chillies. Cook them over a medium heat until the garlic just begins to turn golden brown. Be careful not to let the garlic and chilli burn - remember they will keep on cooking even when off the heat. 

Pour the oil, garlic and chilli over the hot broccoli and toss together well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Now drizzle with Tamari Soy and Sesame oil to your taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Asian Cabbage and Sesame Slaw

I love all sorts of "slaws", especially with barbecued food.  This salad does not look that beautiful but it really tastes great.  I like to use Savoy Cabbage when in season but you can use Pointed Cabbage, White Cabbage or Chinese cabbage.

Ingredients

1 small white cabbage or 1/2 a large one, finely shredded

6 shallots, finely sliced

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Handful of finely chopped coriander

Dressing:

3 tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste)

1 tablespoons sunflower oil

2 teaspoons wasabi paste

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

1 inch ginger, peeled and grated

1 small clove garlic, crushed

1.5 tablespoons sesame oil

5 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Marinate the shallots in the wine vinegar in advance, ideally for 1-2 hours. Mix together all dressing ingredients except the water - a blender or electric beater is useful - then adds the water to thin. Mix dressing into salad, add the marinated shallots and sprinkle over sesame to garnish.

Ingen no goma-ae

175g / 6 oz green beans

A pinch of salt

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon caster sugar

2/3 tablespoon Dashi stock

1/2 tablespoon Miso paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Toast the seeds for this recipe. Simply put them in a frying pan without oil then heat while stirring until the seeds have puffed up and you can smell the distinctive aroma of sesame. Sometimes they make a popping sound.  Grind the sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar or in a coffee grinder. Add the sugar, Dashi, Miso paste and soy sauce and mix together well. Boil the beans in a pan of salted water for 5 minutes or until tender. Finely toss the green beans in the sesame dressing and serve.

Aubergines Baked with den Miso

3 medium aubergines

200g shiromiso (white Miso)

4 tablespoons sake (Chinese rice wine is good here if you have no sake)

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons Mirin

Sesame oil

Sesame seeds

Start by slicing the aubergines into two lengthways. Cut the surfaces diagonally as far as you dare, without cutting the skin. Brush with Sesame oil and bake for 15 minutes at 170C.  While the aubergine is baking, make the den Miso by combining the Mirin, sugar, sake and Miso.  Stir well to make a thick paste.  Spread this on the cooked aubergines, all over their upper surface, making sure the paste gets into the slashes. Sprinkle with Sesame seeds. Return to the oven for a further 10 to 15 minutes making sure that they do not burn. You can eat hot or cold.   It is delicious both ways but very rich.

 

Char-grilled Miso-Marinated Mackerel and Miso Soup

Inspired by the Fish Fight campaign, I have taken to cooking Mackerel. To tell you the truth, I don't love Mackerel. I find it too fishy. I have experimented with various recipes, mainly Chinese style, as I find the soy sauce cuts the fatty fish beautifully, especially with a squeeze of lime. All else you need is a few shredded spring onions, maybe a little chilli and some noodles. But then I started thinking about a recipe I had once heard about of Mackerel marinated in Miso.

I love Japanese food but apart from sushi I really haven't cooked that much of it and I am sorry to say I have never been to Nobu, although I have been to Zuma a couple of times. Anyway, I found a fantastic recipe in The Asian Grill by Corinne Trang for Sweet Miso-Marinated Mackerel and I was very keen to try it out.

One of the best fishmongers round my way is the fantastic Jarvis's which has been in business in Kingston since 1942. One factors of its survival is due to the large rising Japanese population who flock there for super-fresh fish and therefore it is no coincidence that an Atari-Ya Supermarket is now situated just a few doors down.

Even for someone like me, who likes lurking around in exotic and mysterious shops, Atari-Ya can be intimidating. When you walk in the door you are overwhelmed by a choice of fridges, freezers and shelf after shelf brimming full of beguilingly gorgeous packaged goods, offering little or no clue as to what is inside. Unless you understand Japanese that is, which I don't! Therefore you are obliged to read the list of ingredients, which is in tiny print, to try and ascertain what these beautiful packets might actually contain.

Japanese culture could not be more alien and challenging to our English pallets, which is what makes it so exciting. Some ingredients are obvious and familiar like rice but that is where it pretty much stops. There is a fantastic array of noodles. The most common are soba (buckwheat), Ramen and Udon. These are usually served in Dashi (Japanese stock) or in Miso (a paste from fermented Soya beans) or a combination of the two. You can find instant Dashi powder but its long list of dubious ingredients often include MSG, so it is best to make your own. (Recipes below). It is up to you what you add to your Miso Soup but noodles, dried mushrooms, tofu, Nori (seaweed) or spring onions are the most usual. I find this soup is somehow really satisfying. It is clean, restorative and balancing. Apparently it is very good for hangovers too.

There is a selection of different seaweeds, apparently over 50 varieties. Some for making sushi, others for soups or even salads. If you are confused just ask the staff. They are very friendly and helpful and I easily found all the ingredients that I needed for the recipes below. All you really need for most Japanese dishes is soy sauce, sake, sesame seeds, mirin, miso and rice vinegar.

They also sell sushi from a special little sushi bar and had ready prepared meals. They actually had some Mackerel marinated in Miso for sale and I asked about it. The chef enthusiastically explained his technique to me, via translation, which involved soaking bandages from the chemist in the Miso mix and wrapping the fish in it. He said this was much more economical, involving less waste. He also said that the Miso mix could be used for all sorts of things, most obviously black cod or salmon but also for meat and vegetables. I remember a wonderful baked aubergine with Miso I once had, which I still dream about.

When shopping, just one thing - do beware. Japanese products are often extremely expensive so shop carefully, but for the recipes below - the Miso can be frozen, Mirin keeps well in the fridge and what sake you don’t use, you can obviously drink. 

I am a massive fan of cooking on my Weber barbecue which is gas and I absolutely love. It is so convenient, I use it all year round, as long as it isn’t raining. What I love most, is that the house is not full of smoke and there is no smell of cooking and there is so much less cleaning up afterwards. However, you can pan-fry or bake the Makerel and it is still delicious.

I served my Mackerel with Japanese Rice and a cucumber salad. The fish is just so amazing. The sweetness of the Mirin and Miso cut the Mackerel taking away that strong fishy taste and it ends up just delicious.

Char-grilled Miso Marinated Mackerel
from Corinne Trang's The Asian Grill

Fish candy" is how I like to describe this extraordinarily delicious dish. The classic version, found in upscale Japanese restaurants, is broiled black cod cured in shiro-miso - perhaps the mildest and sweetest of the Miso pastes (that is, least salty). The shiro-miso is combined with sugar and tangy sake to create a smooth, creamy marinade in which the fish is marinated for 24 to 48 hours. The longer the fish is marinated, the firmer and sweeter it becomes, hence "fish candy." While I often use black cod and other similar big, white, flaky fish, in the spring and summer I make a grilled version with mackerel. Mackerel has character and texture enough to stand up to grilling, and a sort of culinary magic happens when it is grilled. In essence, the fish offers pronounced flavours that balance perfectly against sweet notes, yielding a dish that is understated while being rich in flavour and texture.
1/2 cup shiro-miso (white Miso)
3 tablespoons sake
3 tablespoons Mirin (sweet sake)
1/3 cup sugar
6 Mackerel fillets
Vegetable oil for brushing 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the shiro-miso, sake, Mirin, and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved and the marinade is smooth.

2. Place the fish and marinade in a re-sealable gallon plastic bag. Squeezing out the air, seal the bag. Holding on to the ends, shake the bag to coat the pieces evenly with the marinade. Refrigerate the fish for 24 to 48 hours, turning the bag over every 2 hours or so.

3. Prepare an indirect fire in a charcoal or gas grill. Brush each piece of fish with oil on all sides. Grill fish skin side down first, until golden crisp and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Japanese Style Cucumber Salad

1 large cucumber
1/4 cup Japanese rice vinegar
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
black and white sesame seeds, for garnish

Trim the ends off the cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half to make two pieces approximately six inches long. Scoop out the seeds. Using a mandolin or a vegetable peeler, slice the cucumber lengthwise into thin ribbons, and place in a colander. Sprinkle with the salt and leave for half and hour. Gently squeeze out the excess water.
Combine the vinegar and sugar and stir well to dissolve. Pour over the cucumber ribbons, and toss well, but very gently, to thoroughly coat the cucumber. Place in a serving bowl, and garnish with black sesame seeds.



Japanese housewives always have dashi, a subtly savoury stock, to hand, since it provides the base flavour in many recipes. There is a powdered version available, but it lacks the delicate seaside fragrance of fresh.

Dashi by Xanthe Clay
1 postcard-size piece of kombu (dry kelp seaweed)
A large handful (about ¾oz/20g) dried bonito fish flakes
Wipe the kombu with damp kitchen paper, and snip or tear the edges a bit to make a rough fringe. Put the kombu in a saucepan with 1¾ pints/1 litre water and bring to the boil over a low heat. Remove the kombu when it begins to float to the surface, just before the water reaches boiling point - do not boil the kombu as it will discolour the dashi and make it taste bitter. Add the bonito flakes and let the water return to the boil, then remove from the heat. Allow the flakes to settle to the bottom of the pan, and then strain the stock using a fine-meshed sieve lined with kitchen paper or a coffee filter. Use the same day.

Miso Soup with Tofu and Seaweed
3 cups Dashi soup stock
1 block tofu
3-4 tbsp Miso paste
1/4 cup chopped green onion
Dried Seaweed (Daichu Fuefue Wakame)

Put Dashi soup stock in a pan and bring to a boil. Cut tofu into small cubes and add them to the soup. Simmer the tofu for a few minutes on low heat. Scoop out some soup stock from the pan and dissolve Miso in it. Gradually return the Miso mixture in the soup. Stir the soup gently. Stop the heat and add chopped green onion and some dried seaweed. Remember not to boil the soup after you put Miso in.