hajime kasuga is one of the foremost Peruvian Nikkei chefs working in Peru today. When he is not promoting Peruvian Nikkei cuisine in Japan, the uSA or europe, he is working in Lima as a consultant to various Japanese and Nikkei restaurants or teaching Japanese and Nikkei cooking at the prestigious Le cordon Bleu Peru, which is where i was lucky enough to meet him. This stunning recipe is simple to make but is sure to impress – the ponzu jelly can be made a day or two in advance so all you need to do before serving hajime’s dish is to shuck the oysters and pop open a bottle of fizz!FreSh OySTerS, PONzu JeLLy & OrANGeTo make the dashi follow the recipe for Primary dashi on page 230.To make the ponzu jelly, heat the dashi to near boiling point, dissolve the gelatine in the hot dashi and then mix with the soy sauce and lime juice. Refrigerate for 40 minutes. When set, cut the ponzu jelly into 5mm (¼in) cubes. Just before serving, shuck the oysters removing any fragments or grit from the inside of the shell. Add 1–2 teaspoons of ponzu jelly cubes to each oyster, finishing off with the finely grated orange zest. Serve immediately.ServeS 26 fresh oystersfinely grated zest of 1 orangeFor the ponzu jelly:90ml (3¼fl oz/¹⁄³ cup) dashi (see page 230)3g (²⁄³ tsp) gelatine powder30ml (1fl oz/2 tbsp) soy sauce30ml (1fl oz/2 tbsp) lime juiceHAJIME KASuGASoups & Hotpots 121A winter staple in many homes from Tokyo to São Paulo and Lima, this soup is a hearty miso soup made with sliced pork belly, chunky root vegetables and sake lees, a byproduct of sake making. The latter imparts a real depth of flavour to the soup; it may be a little tricky to find, but i assure you your efforts will be richly rewarded. Ton kasu jiru works well as an accompaniment to a number of other dishes in a meal but i think it is also substantial enough to have as a one-pot supper. A heArTy JAPANeSe MiSO SOuP WiTh SAke LeeS, POrk BeLLy & rOOT veGeTABLeSMake the dashi by following the recipe instructions on page 230 or opt for the instant version if pushed for time. Transfer to a medium pan that is large enough to accommodate all of the other ingredients.Add the white radish cubes to the dashi stock, bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes on a medium–low heat. Add the carrot and pork belly slices to the pan and cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove any scum from the surface from time to time.Ladle some of the dashi into a separate bowl, add the brown miso and, using a whisk, mix well until the miso has completely dissolved. Return this mixture to the pan with the dashi, vegetables and pork belly.Next, add the sake lees to the pan and stir well. Check for seasoning and add more of the brown miso paste if necessary.Divide the soup between six Japanese soup bowls, sprinkle some sliced spring onions (scallions) in the middle of each bowl and dust with shichimi pepper before serving.ServeS 61.2 litres (2 pints/5 cups) dashi (see page 230; or use 1 tbsp instant dashi powder and 1.2 litres (2 pints/ 5 cups) boiling water if time is tight)150g (5½oz) white radish or daikon, cut into 1cm (½in) cubes 150g (5½oz) carrot, cut into 1cm (½in) cubes (pumpkin or sweet potato also work well)300g (10½oz) thinly sliced pork belly, cut into 1cm (½in)-wide, 2cm (¾in)-long pieces6 tbsp brown miso paste100g (3½oz) sake lees (also known as sake kasu in most Japanese food shops)2 tbsp finely sliced spring onions (scallions), to garnishshichimi pepper, to garnishDesserts 221The sesame brittle in this recipe imparts a rich caramel flavour and toasty nuttiness to the ice cream. it is a great accompaniment to serve alongside the hot Banana & Nutella gyoza on page 218. SeSAMe cArAMeL ice creAMPlace the toasted sesame seeds in a non-stick frying pan (or skillet) over a medium heat and dry-fry them for a few minutes until lightly coloured. Be sure not to burn them or they will taste bitter. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed.To make the sesame brittle, place a non-stick silicone baking mat inside a shallow baking tin (pan) (a Swiss/jelly roll tin/pan is ideal for this). Wash a heavy, preferably non-stick pan, well with hot water to remove any traces of grease and dry well – this will prevent the sugar from crystallising as it melts. Place the granulated sugar in the clean pan over a gentle heat and let it melt, tilting the pan occasionally to break up any lumps of sugar or very gently mixing it in with a spoon. Once all the sugar has dissolved, add the toasted sesame seeds and mix well. Pour this mixture onto the baking mat and let cool and harden.The base of most ice creams is a light custard. In a pan, heat the milk and cream until it starts steaming, this will be around 65°C (149°F). While the cream and milk mix is heating, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl using an electric hand whisk, until the mixture is paler in colour and frothy; this should take about 3 minutes.Pour one-third of the heated cream into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, stirring well until completely combined. Pour this back into the pan with the remaining cream and milk mixture and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir for about 5 minutes. The desired consistency is what we call a ‘coating consistency’ or, in other words, when a line remains clear as it is drawn on the back of the spatula. A word of warning – do not overheat the custard as it will curdle. The sugar in this recipe will help to stabilise the custard and stop it from curdling, but temperature control is essential as well; it should never reach boiling point.Let the mixture cool down by placing the pan in an ice bath. Meanwhile, break up the sesame seed brittle into small pieces in a pestle and mortar, then crush them to a fine crumble. Add the crushed brittle to the cold custard, cover and chill for a couple of hours or preferably overnight. Next, pour this mixture into the ice-cream maker and churn until frozen, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Place it in an airtight container and freeze until required. (If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, place the mixture in a bowl in the freezer, take it out every 2 hours and blitz it in a food processor to break up the ice crystals, repeat this three times.) Partially thaw for about 10 minutes before serving.cook’s note Toasted black sesame seeds can also be used.MAkeS ABOuT 2.5 LiTreS (4½ PiNTS/2 quArTS)For the sesame caramel:120g (4oz/¾ cup) toasted sesame seeds 300g (10½oz/1½ cups) granulated sugarFor the ice cream:750ml (1 pint 6fl oz/3 cups) whole milk600ml (1 pint/2½ cups) double (heavy) cream2 eggs4 egg yolks160g (5¾oz/¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugarWe hope youenjoyed this EYB Book PreviewThe complete book is available from all major booksellers. Or use the "Buy Book" button and help support EYB.Next >