Yamagata Makomotake 山形県庄内産 まこもたけ

Makomotake with Yuzu Kosho Mayonnaise

We came across makomotake まこもたけ at our local vegetable shop recently. This is from Shonai in Yamagata 山形県庄内産 which is where my mother's family is from. On first appearance it looks like long, skinny corn as it is covered in long green leaves. After peeling the harder outer green leaves inside is a tender stalk. 

The packet advertises it as "shaki shaki shokkan" シャキシャキ食感 - with a crunchy texture. This grabbed my attention and so I picked it up.

Here's what it looked like out of the package. Reminded me of my junior high school days walking the corn fields in Minnesota. These looked like baby corn on the top of the tall stalks.

I peeled off the outer hard layers. The inside was a dense stalk.

Different recipes online show that it can be cooked in a variety of methods. Pickled, stir-fried, deep-fried, steamed, or blanched in hot water and dressed in a sauce. I cut it into thin strips, blanched it, then dressed it with a simple yuzu kosho mayonnaise. The taste and texture reminded me of baby bamboo shoots. Next time I'd love to try this as tempura or pickled. Unfortunately it's hard to find at the market so here's hoping there's a next time. 

Nobu Clear Soup with Chrysanthemum Petals

Nobu's newest cookbook on sushi (currently only in Japanese) includes some seasonal soups that are perfect for serving with sushi. We really loved the summer Red Miso Soup with Fruit Tomato. And I was so curious about his autumn soup as I've never seen anything like it. Petals from an edible chrysanthemum are plucked and served in a classic clear Japanese soup.

As soon as the flowers came into the market we picked up a packet. The flowers come in yellow or a lavender color. It was very easy to prepare and the soup was delicious. As Nobu writes in his recipe, chrysanthemum flowers are representative of autumn seasonal ingredients in Japan. And, as the Japanese eat with their eyes this is a dramatic presentation, and delicious as well.

Look for the NOBU Sushi Cookbook in English in 2013.

Nobu-Style Ceviche Sushi Bowl セビーチェのバラちらしずし

ajsdfkjaslf
jaksdfj

Our newest cookbook is Nobu's Sushi Cookbook, currently only in Japanese but anticipating the English version next year.

As I am married to a fishmonger hardly a day goes by without seafood. If it is fresh we'll have it as sashimi, which is often the case. So, as you can imagine, we love perusing Nobu's cookbook as his recipes include classic sushi as well as original recipes that are so appealing.

We love the tang and spice from Nobu's ceviche sauce. It is not at all like any flavors we are used to in Japan when we think of sashimi or donburi. The ceviche sauce includes lemon and yuzu juice, minced garlic, ginger juice, aji amarillo chile paste, and more. I am blessed to have a Peruvian friend in Sydney who visited Tokyo and knew all about Nobu's chiles and sent me some. Here is the aji amarillo that we used for the ceviche sauce.

Sweet fruit tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and red onions add a nice contrast to the seafood  as well the bright cilantro. For sashimi we used flounder, salmon, tuna, and scallops. We couldn't find awabi and I am allergic to shrimp but those should also be included. What also makes this ceviche so simple is that the seafood is not marinated for a long time as traditional ceviches. We made a large batch of the ceviche marinade and used it as a dressing on thinly sliced tuna carpaccio topped with micro-greens and that also was a hit.

Look for Nobu's Sushi book in English this spring.

Seasonal Japanese Seafood - Oysters 旬の鮮魚 かき

Oysters in Japan are in season in winter. Prefectures known for oysters include Hokkaido, Iwate, Miyagi, and Hiroshima as well as from the Seto inlet area. In the market, oysters can be sold in the shell (kara tsuki) or shucked (mukimi). Of the shucked type there are two ways they will be sold, shucked and packed in the store - which needs to be cooked before eating. Or, as in the packet below, shucked, pre-washed, and packed at the producer. This second type you need to check the package to see if it can eaten raw or if it needs to be cooked. (see kanji below)

There is one type of oysters, iwagaki, that are season in the summer. This type is meaty and round and you should try it if you see it in the market.

Sweet and creamy raw oysters are best paired with some acidity to balance it with vinegar (sugaki) or as we love at home, with grated daikon, ponzu and a hint of shichimi togarashi.

Most of the oysters we are eating is farmed (yoshoku). Oysters are raised on long ropes. Oyster shells raised in Hiroshima tend to be big and long while oysters from the northern prefectures are smaller and rounder.

Oysters can be grilled in their shells, cooked in hot pots, baked in the oven in a creamy gratin, or my favorite, as kaki furai - breaded and deep-fried. The best place to find kaki furai is at tonkatsu restaurants, like Maisen in Omotesando.

Freshly shucked oyster pack

Key kanji for oysters:

牡蠣 kanji for oysters, but actually it is most often written in hiragana or katakana

かき  hiragana for oysters

カキ  katakana for oysters

生  nama - uncooked

生食用  nama shokuyou - can be eaten raw

加熱用  kanetsuyou - needs to be cooked before eaten

殻付き  karatsuki - with the shell  

剥身  mukimi - shelled shellfish

Four prefectures renowned for oysters:

広島  Hiroshima

北海道  Hokkaido

宮城  Miyagi

岩手  Iwate

post by Yukari & Shinji Sakamoto

Oysters and Napa Cabbage Nabe 白菜とかきの土鍋蒸し煮

Kaki and Hakusai Nabe 牡蠣と白菜の鍋

This oyster and napa cabbage hot pot was featured on NHK's Kyo no Ryori cooking program the other with chef Akiko Watanabe. Only a few ingredients for this simple yet satisfying nabe. Served with ponzu and yuzu koshu as garnishes and a bottle of freshly brewed sake for a taste of autumn.

Oysters and Napa Cabbage Hot Pot

160 grams fresh oysters

250 grams Napa cabbage, cut into large strips

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon sake

pinch of salt

condiments

yuzu kosho

ponzu

Cut the Napa cabbage into large strips. Most important, to cut the tough, white part of the backbone of the Napa cabbage into strips that can be cooked quickly. Oysters should be rinsed in salted water.

In the bottom of a medium sized nabe hot pot place the white, tough strips of Napa cabbage. On top of that layer the green strips from the soft part of the cabbage leaf. Scatter the fresh oysters over the cabbage. Add water, sake, and salt and simmer over medium heat for five minutes. Serve immediately.

Kaki and hakusai before cooking

large strips of Napa cabbage leaves

large strips of Napa cabbage 

Click here for more information on oysters in Japan.

Nobu's Tomato and Miso Soup - NOBU フルーツトマト赤だし

Nobu's Tomato and Miso Soup

My newest cookbook is Nobu's Sushi Cookbook (in Japanese). The photos are gorgeous and  so detailed when it comes to making nigiri and roll sushi. The English version should be coming out this spring, so be sure to look out for it.

The first recipe we tried was perhaps the easiest, Tomato and Miso Soup. The tomato is from Kumamoto on the southern island of Kyushu. The miso is an aka dashi, made from soybeans that is slightly heady and intense. The sweetness and acidity from the tomato was perfectly balanced by the dark, red miso. It is simply garnished with hana hojiso, the flowers from the shiso plant, that adds a hint of shiso.

We were in a rush and didn't have time to make dashi from scratch so we used Marukome liquid miso (マルコメ液みそ　赤だし).  The liquid miso includes dashi so we cooked the tomato and then added the liquid miso diluted with some hot water. To the table in minutes.

And herein lies the brilliance of Nobu Matsuhisa. Simple ingredients combined for a winning dish. We had this for breakfast and it was so addictive that we made it for lunch. Had there been any more tomatoes in the refrigerator.

Also from his cookbook: Clear Soup with Chysanthemum Petals

NOBU no Sushi, in Japanese is available in bookstores throughout Japan. Look for the English version this spring around the world.

Seasonal Japanese Seafood - Katsuo Skipjack Tuna

Katsuo Tataki 鰹たたき

Katsuo Tataki pack from the supermarket

Katsuo (skipjack tuna or bonito) is in season twice a year. In the springtime katsuo swims from south to north along the Pacific Coast of Japan to its destination Aomori at the northern tip of Honshu, Japan's biggest island. In the spring katsuo is a lean fish. While swimming north katsuo eats a lot of smaller fish and starts to get fat. By autumn when katsuo swims along the same path to the south it is rich in fat, and that is what treasured by the Japanese this time of year.

Tataki is a very common preparation for katsuo. The outside of a sashimi quality katsuo filet is seared. The katsuo is cut into thick slices and served with a citrusy ponzu sauce. The dish above was purchased at our local department store. If possible, look for fresh katsuo, not previously frozen, for a better texture. Look on the packaging for the kanji for "nama" or raw. If it was previously frozen it will say "reitou". Domestic seafood will be labeled as "kokusan", or will even list the specific prefecture it hails from.

Key kanji on katsuo packaging:

生 nama - raw

冷凍 reitou - frozen

旬 shun - seasonal

刺身用 sashimi you - can be eaten raw

国産 kokusan - domestic

高知 Kochi - a prefecture known for its katsuo

Katsuo Sashimi Herbal Salad 鰹刺身サラダ

Katsuo Sashimi Salad

We love to have sashimi salad throughout the year. This salad above is made with katsuo sashimi. As katsuo is a very meaty and full-flavored fish it can be topped with many different yakumi (condiments). 

Shinji's Katsuo Sashimi Herbal Salad

onions, thinly sliced and rinsed in cold water 

kaiware (daikon sprouts)

myoga, julienned

shiso, chiffonade

garlic, thinly sliced

ginger, julienned

green onions, finely chopped

katsuo sashimi

homemade ponzu

sudachi (Japanese lime)

soy sauce

mirin

Mix the homemade ponzu. Determine which citrus (sudachi, kabosu, lime, or daidai) to use. Overseas this may be hard to find so feel free to use yuzu juice (often sold in bottles at Japanese markets) or another tart citron. Our home recipe is one part each of citrus juice, soy sauce, and mirin. Taste this and then adjust as you like. To make this into a salad dressing then just add some extra-virgin olive oil.

On a large serving platter layer thinly sliced rinsed onions and top with kaiware. Over that layer the sliced katsuo sashimi. Sprinkle the sashimi with the yakumi of myoga, shiso, garlic, ginger, and green onions. Feel free to garnish with thinly sliced sudachi (but only for decoration, not to be consumed).

Just before eating pour the ponzu over the salad. 

This same salad can be made all-year long using tuna or salmon. In the fall another nice fish to use is sanma. And, in spring, the lean katsuo is also nice. Feel free to add other vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, or daikon.

Katsuo and Maguro Sashimi

Here is a photo of katsuo sashimi in the back and tuna sashimi in the front just to see the contrast in color. On the left of the plate is the chiai or bloodline of the katsuo that Shinji rough chopped and mixed with a bit of mayonnaise.

Seafood postings starting from this one will be penned by my husband, Shinji, a former buyer at Tsukiji Market, and myself. We hope to introduce seasonal Japanese seafood to the world.

November Seasonal Japanese Seafood １１月旬の鮮魚

November Seasonal Sashimi

Monkfish Liver

We love this time of year as the seafood is rich with fat as the waters turn cold. Some of our favorites this time of year is ankou (monkfish), for its meat which we often make in a nabe (hot pot) but also for its liver.

The photo above is of monkfish liver that we made at home. The liver is often sold at supermarkets this time of year. Simply marinate in a bit of salt and sake, roll up in plastic wrap and then foil, steam until cooked through, then chill and slice. Serve with a citrusy soy ponzu and a sprinkle of shichimi (seven spice). Many Japanese gourmands call it the foie gras of the sea, albeit not as rich, so a delicate treat.

We also love sashimi this time of year. The other photo is of kinmedai, wild warasa (young yellowtail), tachiuo, aori ika, and maguro. All are in season this time of year.

Katsuo is lovely seared tataki-style, scallops we love as sashimi or sautéed in butter. Swordfish calls out for a sweet soy teriyaki sauce. And while salmon is available all-year long, must of it is farmed and imported. This time of year we look for domestic, wild salmon.

Click on the name of the fish in Japanese to see a photo.

Akagai 赤貝 ark shell (Scapharca broughtonii)

Akagarei 赤鰈 flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

Ankou鮟鱇monkfish (Lophiomus setigerus)

Ankimo – monkfish liver

Aori ika障泥烏賊 big fin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana)

Ara 𩺊 rock cod (Nuphon spinosus)

Buri鰤Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Chidai   血鯛  crimson sea bream (Evynnis japonica)

Ginsake 銀鮭 coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

Hamadai 浜鯛 ruby snapper (Etelis coruscans)

Hirame 鮃 olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Hokke 𩸽 arabesque greenling (Pleurogrammus azonus)

Hotate 帆立貝 scallops (Patinopecten yessoensis)

Ibodai 疣鯛 butterfish (Psenopsis anomala)

Itoyoridai 糸縒鯛  golden threadfin-bream (Nemipterus virgatus)

Katsuo鰹  skipjack tuna or oceanic bonito (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Kawahagi 皮剥 thread-sail filefish (Stephanolepis cirrhifer)

Kihada maguro 黄肌鮪yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

Kurigani helmet crab (Telmessus cheiragonus)

Maguro  鮪tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Maiwashi 真鰯  Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus)

Medai Japanese butterfish (Hyperoglyphe japonica)

Mekajiki   女旗魚  swordfish (Xiphias gladias)

Mishima Okoze – Japanese stargazer (Uranoscopus japonicus)

Mizudako 水蛸 North Pacific giant octopus (Octopus dofleini)

Sake鮭salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Sanma秋刀魚Pacific saury (Cololabis saira)

Shirako – milt sac, often from cod, prized when from fugu

Shishamo – Japanese longfin smelt (Spirinchus lanceolatus)

Tachiuo 太刀魚 cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus)

Tarabagani 鱈場蟹 Alaska king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

Tsubugai  つぶ貝 whelk  (Buccinum undatum)

Warasa 鰤 young Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Yanaginomai – yellow-body rockfish (Sebastes steindachneri)