Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional (15 page)

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Authors: Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner

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BOOK: Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional

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Mix the natto with the onions, cornstarch, soy sauce, and hot mustard. Cut the sheets of nori into eight squares each. On each square, place a small mound of the natto mixture—it will be sticky enough to adhere. Fill a fryer with oil or place at least an inch of oil in a deep skillet. Heat until a tiny bit of the mixture dropped in rises to the surface of the oil steadily and quickly. Without crowding the pan, fry a few pieces of natto-covered nori at a time until crispy and brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with soy sauce and additional hot mustard for dipping.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Fried Eggplant with Miso Sauce

Nasu no Dengaku

4 Japanese eggplants

Oil for frying or grilling

Dengaku (Sweet Miso Sauce)

cup mild white miso

2 tablespoons mirin

3 tablespoons sugar, or 3 to 4 tablespoons FruitSource or evaporated cane juice (Fruit juice concentrate does not work well here.)

Dengaku is a sweet miso sauce that is served with a variety of foods, such as broiled tofu, konnyaku (page 25), and this wonderful deep-fried eggplant, another favorite dish that I tend to break down in front of. If you are trying to avoid deep-frying, the eggplants can be lightly brushed with oil and grilled or roasted until tender.

Yield: 4 to 8 servings

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Heat the oil to 375°F, or until the eggplants dropped in the hot oil first sink but fairly rapidly float to the surface. Fry until golden brown, then drain on absorbent paper. (Alternatively, the cut-side of the eggplants can be brushed lightly with oil and grilled on a hibachi or barbeque grill, or under a broiler until tender.) Mix the remaining ingredients to make the
dengaku
(sweet miso sauce), and spread on top of each eggplant. Serve immediately.

Vegetarian Calamari

Jka-Age

One 8 to 10 ounce package white konnyaku, page 25 (grey can be used, but the white looks more convincing)

Flour for dredging

Oil for frying

Salt, lemon juice, ponzu (light, salty, citrus dipping sauce), or soy sauce to taste

Slice the konnyaku ¼ inch thick. Dredge well in flour. Heat the oil until a small piece of konnyaku dropped in rises steadily and quickly to the surface. Fry several pieces at a time until crispy and light brown. Drain well. Serve with lemon juice, sea salt,
ponzu
(light, salty, citrus dipping sauce), or soy sauce, if desired.

Konnyaku may seem rubbery and strange, but I have found that it makes an excellent substitute for calamari. It has a fishy enough flavor, and the texture is perfect.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Deep-Fried Tofu in Broth

Age-Dashi Dofu

3 cups Konbu to Shiitake no
Dashi
(Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54 or Shiitake no
Dashi
(Shiitake Stock), page 55

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon mirin

¼ pound daikon radish, peeled Oil for frying

1½ pounds firm silken tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

About ½ cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

3 green onions, chopped or thinly sliced

Combine the stock with the soy sauce, sea salt, sake, and mirin, and simmer for 5 minutes. Grate the daikon with a Japanese grater or the finest grate on an American grater. Set aside a little for topping, and gently squeeze out the excess water from the rest. (You will end up with only about ¼ cup of daikon.) Heat the oil for frying, and coat each cube of tofu well in the cornstarch. Fry several cubes at a time until golden, then drain on absorbent paper.

Put several cubes in each person’s bowl, and pour over ½ cup of the sauce per serving. Top with a little grated daikon, ginger, and green onion, and serve immediately.

Delicate silken tofu morsels with a crisp “skin” in a savory broth—this happens to be another one of my favorites. Unfortunately, these really do have to be fried, not baked.

Yield: 6 servings

Fried Tofu with Mushrooms

Kinoko no Age-Dashi Dofu

Prepare Age-Dashi Dofu (opposite page) with the following changes:

If desired, delete the daikon and ginger.

To the broth, add:

3 ounces each enoki and shimeji (oyster mushrooms), separated into small clumps or individual mushrooms (Thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms can be substituted if enokis and oysters are unavailable.)

Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Chives or green onions can be added for a light flavor and garnish.