MEMORIES 133 ,e,, 1,) AND tB STORIES FROM 7. }- MY FAMILY'S I !) KITCHEN I tit iJ, * 0) � !j[ 0) EMIKO DAVIES 7'' ,{ I:::' I 7. rn ,c:., � -=t- ti lu GOHAN EVERYDAY JAPANESE COOKING £if: B 0) to � お 米 お米 RICE 108 お I have a soft spot for mapo tofu, as I grew up in Beijing where Sichuan restaurants abound and this has always been a dish I have loved. It is much-loved in Japan, too. In fact, it is so popular it is usually just cooked from a special packet mix found in Japanese supermarkets – a bit like Japanese curry, add the meat and tofu and that’s it. Mapo tofu was introduced to Japan in the 1950s by Japanese-Chinese chef Chin Kenmin, who is credited with having brought his native Sichuan cuisine to Japanese palates through his restaurant and numerous television shows – his son is chef Chen Kenichi, a.k.a. Iron Chef Chinese from the iconic Iron Chef series. It’s not unusual to find adored Chinese dishes that have been borrowed and adapted to Japanese tastes over the centuries – some of the dishes include gyoza (jiaˇozi) and ramen (lāmiàn). In the Japanese version, it is more or less a matter of what is in your average Japanese pantry. Less (or sometimes no) doubanjiang (chilli bean sauce) is used (but feel free to add more according to your taste – it is fiery!), there is no douchi (fermented black beans or black bean sauce) or numbing Sichuan pepper (admittedly, it is the thing that makes a mapo tofu, but it is also often the first ingredient omitted for non-Sichuanese tastes) and instead miso is added. This is one of the rare occasions where I prefer red miso for this, it is punchier and stronger in flavour. I prefer a firmer tofu, but the more delicate silken tofu is often used. One thing is for sure, that mapo tofu is perfectly suited to becoming a donburi dish, because the sauce – that ever-important sauce – that seeps into the deep bowl of rice is what makes this dish so very comforting. You can also use minced (ground) beef or chicken instead of pork. For a vegetarian version, try this with diced eggplant (aubergine) – look for long, thin Japanese or Chinese eggplants to use in place of the meat, they may take 5–10 minutes to cook in the first step. MABODON Mapo Tofu Bowl SERVES 4 マ ー ボ ー 丼 INGREDIENTS 1 teaspoon potato starch or cornflour (corn starch) 1 tablespoon sesame oil 200 g (7 oz) minced (ground) pork 1 knob of ginger, about 3 cm (1¼ in), minced 1 garlic clove, minced 3–4 spring onions (scallions), white and green parts separated and finely chopped a pinch of salt 80 ml (⅓ cup) sake or Chinese rice wine 1 tablespoon red or brown miso 2 teaspoons doubanjiang (chilli bean sauce) 250 ml (1 cup) stock (any that you have, or water) 250 g (9 oz) tofu (I prefer a medium-firm tofu), diced 4 bowls of cooked rice (page 80) METHOD Mix the potato starch with a couple of tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Set aside. Heat the oil in a cast-iron or heavy-based frying pan (skillet) or wok over a medium–high heat, add the pork, ginger, garlic and the white parts of the spring onion, along with a good pinch of salt. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink, then stir through the sake or wine, the miso and the doubanjiang, followed by the stock. When it begins to simmer, turn the heat down to medium, add the tofu and cook for a further 1–2 minutes. Add the starchy slurry you prepared at the beginning and continue cooking until the sauce thickens nicely, it should take about 1 minute. Serve immediately over the donburi bowls of rice, sprinkled with the reserved spring onion greens.お 米 お米 RICE 108 お I have a soft spot for mapo tofu, as I grew up in Beijing where Sichuan restaurants abound and this has always been a dish I have loved. It is much-loved in Japan, too. In fact, it is so popular it is usually just cooked from a special packet mix found in Japanese supermarkets – a bit like Japanese curry, add the meat and tofu and that’s it. Mapo tofu was introduced to Japan in the 1950s by Japanese-Chinese chef Chin Kenmin, who is credited with having brought his native Sichuan cuisine to Japanese palates through his restaurant and numerous television shows – his son is chef Chen Kenichi, a.k.a. Iron Chef Chinese from the iconic Iron Chef series. It’s not unusual to find adored Chinese dishes that have been borrowed and adapted to Japanese tastes over the centuries – some of the dishes include gyoza (jiaˇozi) and ramen (lāmiàn). In the Japanese version, it is more or less a matter of what is in your average Japanese pantry. Less (or sometimes no) doubanjiang (chilli bean sauce) is used (but feel free to add more according to your taste – it is fiery!), there is no douchi (fermented black beans or black bean sauce) or numbing Sichuan pepper (admittedly, it is the thing that makes a mapo tofu, but it is also often the first ingredient omitted for non-Sichuanese tastes) and instead miso is added. This is one of the rare occasions where I prefer red miso for this, it is punchier and stronger in flavour. I prefer a firmer tofu, but the more delicate silken tofu is often used. One thing is for sure, that mapo tofu is perfectly suited to becoming a donburi dish, because the sauce – that ever-important sauce – that seeps into the deep bowl of rice is what makes this dish so very comforting. You can also use minced (ground) beef or chicken instead of pork. For a vegetarian version, try this with diced eggplant (aubergine) – look for long, thin Japanese or Chinese eggplants to use in place of the meat, they may take 5–10 minutes to cook in the first step. MABODON Mapo Tofu Bowl SERVES 4 マ ー ボ ー 丼 INGREDIENTS 1 teaspoon potato starch or cornflour (corn starch) 1 tablespoon sesame oil 200 g (7 oz) minced (ground) pork 1 knob of ginger, about 3 cm (1¼ in), minced 1 garlic clove, minced 3–4 spring onions (scallions), white and green parts separated and finely chopped a pinch of salt 80 ml (⅓ cup) sake or Chinese rice wine 1 tablespoon red or brown miso 2 teaspoons doubanjiang (chilli bean sauce) 250 ml (1 cup) stock (any that you have, or water) 250 g (9 oz) tofu (I prefer a medium-firm tofu), diced 4 bowls of cooked rice (page 80) METHOD Mix the potato starch with a couple of tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Set aside. Heat the oil in a cast-iron or heavy-based frying pan (skillet) or wok over a medium–high heat, add the pork, ginger, garlic and the white parts of the spring onion, along with a good pinch of salt. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink, then stir through the sake or wine, the miso and the doubanjiang, followed by the stock. When it begins to simmer, turn the heat down to medium, add the tofu and cook for a further 1–2 minutes. Add the starchy slurry you prepared at the beginning and continue cooking until the sauce thickens nicely, it should take about 1 minute. Serve immediately over the donburi bowls of rice, sprinkled with the reserved spring onion greens.NOODLES & STREET FOOD 161 粉 物 と ス ト リ ー ト ・ フ ー ド 粉物粉 OKONOMIYAKI Cheese and Cabbage Okonomiyaki SERVES 2 GENEROUSLY お 好 み 焼 き This is one of my very favourite dishes to make at home and because I don’t always have calamari or the other seafood lying around that you normally see in this dish, I often make it with just cabbage (the one ingredient that is non-negotiable), like my mother does. One day, I added some cheese to it, and the stringy, cheesy interior was so good, it has now become my go-to. Because it’s hard to make okonomiyaki for more than one person, unless you have multiple pans going at once, I like making just one quite large one and then cutting it into wedges to share at the table – two hungry people would be very happy with this portion alone or you can easily stretch it out to share among more with some other little dishes. Otherwise, this is my favourite meal to make myself when I have a rare moment alone. Just halve it and it’s the perfect meal for one. It makes a great pantry dish and if you are wondering what else you can add to this, prawns (shrimp) and calamari or pork belly are popular proteins, but you can try other vegetables like mushrooms, beansprouts, even corn or kimchi. If you happen to have some tempura crumbs (see tenkasu, page 154), add a handful of these in here, too – it’s not only traditional, but they help make it fluffier. INGREDIENTS 60 g (2 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs, separated 80 ml (⅓ cup) Kombu dashi (page 30) or water 2 tablespoons Beni shoga (red pickled ginger, page 36) vegetable oil, for greasing 70 g (2½ oz) good melting cheese, shredded or in thin slices 350 g (12½ oz) cabbage (about ⅓ head of cabbage), finely sliced GARNISHES Tonkatsu sauce (page 34) Japanese mayonnaise aonori (green seaweed flakes) katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) Beni shoga (red pickled ginger, page 36) METHOD Make a batter by mixing the flour, baking powder, egg yolks and dashi. Rest the batter for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until you have firm peaks. After the resting time, fold the egg whites into the batter along with the pickled ginger. Grease a large, heavy-based frying pan (skillet) (cast-iron is great as it holds the heat well and cooks evenly) and heat over a low–medium heat. Spread half of the batter mixture out in the pan, sprinkle over half of the cheese, then layer over the cabbage, top with the rest of the cheese, then pour over the remaining batter. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and carefully flip the okonomiyaki over. I find what works best is either 2 spatulas and some good manoeuvring, or do it like an Italian frittata: use an inverted plate, clamp that down over the okonomiyaki, then flip the whole pan over onto the plate. Finally, slide the okonomiyaki, now flipped, back into the pan on the raw side. Cover and cook for a final 5 minutes. Place on a plate and garnish with some drizzles of tonkatsu sauce and Japanese mayonnaise, then sprinkle over aonori and katsuobushi. Place the beni shoga in the centre. Serve cut into wedges if you like, or just dig in with chopsticks.NOODLES & STREET FOOD 161 粉 物 と ス ト リ ー ト ・ フ ー ド 粉物粉 OKONOMIYAKI Cheese and Cabbage Okonomiyaki SERVES 2 GENEROUSLY お 好 み 焼 き This is one of my very favourite dishes to make at home and because I don’t always have calamari or the other seafood lying around that you normally see in this dish, I often make it with just cabbage (the one ingredient that is non-negotiable), like my mother does. One day, I added some cheese to it, and the stringy, cheesy interior was so good, it has now become my go-to. Because it’s hard to make okonomiyaki for more than one person, unless you have multiple pans going at once, I like making just one quite large one and then cutting it into wedges to share at the table – two hungry people would be very happy with this portion alone or you can easily stretch it out to share among more with some other little dishes. Otherwise, this is my favourite meal to make myself when I have a rare moment alone. Just halve it and it’s the perfect meal for one. It makes a great pantry dish and if you are wondering what else you can add to this, prawns (shrimp) and calamari or pork belly are popular proteins, but you can try other vegetables like mushrooms, beansprouts, even corn or kimchi. If you happen to have some tempura crumbs (see tenkasu, page 154), add a handful of these in here, too – it’s not only traditional, but they help make it fluffier. INGREDIENTS 60 g (2 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs, separated 80 ml (⅓ cup) Kombu dashi (page 30) or water 2 tablespoons Beni shoga (red pickled ginger, page 36) vegetable oil, for greasing 70 g (2½ oz) good melting cheese, shredded or in thin slices 350 g (12½ oz) cabbage (about ⅓ head of cabbage), finely sliced GARNISHES Tonkatsu sauce (page 34) Japanese mayonnaise aonori (green seaweed flakes) katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) Beni shoga (red pickled ginger, page 36) METHOD Make a batter by mixing the flour, baking powder, egg yolks and dashi. Rest the batter for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until you have firm peaks. After the resting time, fold the egg whites into the batter along with the pickled ginger. Grease a large, heavy-based frying pan (skillet) (cast-iron is great as it holds the heat well and cooks evenly) and heat over a low–medium heat. Spread half of the batter mixture out in the pan, sprinkle over half of the cheese, then layer over the cabbage, top with the rest of the cheese, then pour over the remaining batter. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and carefully flip the okonomiyaki over. I find what works best is either 2 spatulas and some good manoeuvring, or do it like an Italian frittata: use an inverted plate, clamp that down over the okonomiyaki, then flip the whole pan over onto the plate. Finally, slide the okonomiyaki, now flipped, back into the pan on the raw side. Cover and cook for a final 5 minutes. Place on a plate and garnish with some drizzles of tonkatsu sauce and Japanese mayonnaise, then sprinkle over aonori and katsuobushi. Place the beni shoga in the centre. Serve cut into wedges if you like, or just dig in with chopsticks.甘 い 物 甘い物 SWEETS 甘 い 物 254 甘 MATCHA TIRAMISU Matcha Tiramisu SERVES 4–6 抹 茶 テ ィ ラ ミ ス I am generally not one for mashing up two such important cultural icons, but I have to admit that this is really good – the sweetness of the mascarpone cream and the bitterness of matcha are just a match made in heaven – to the point that matcha tiramisu has become a classic in its own right. I love this in a pretty bowl or you can do individual portions in glasses or ramekins. INGREDIENTS 3 eggs, separated 70 g (scant ⅓ cup) sugar 300 g (1¼ cups) mascarpone 2 teaspoons matcha (green tea powder, see note on page 250), plus extra for dusting 125 ml (½ cup) water 100 g (3½ oz) savoiardi biscuits (sponge fingers) METHOD To make the mascarpone cream, whisk the egg whites (make sure you use a very clean bowl – glass or metal is best – and very clean beaters to quickly get beautifully stiff whites) until you have soft, fluffy peaks that hold their shape. In a separate bowl, whip the egg yolks with the sugar until you have a creamy and pale mixture. Whip in the mascarpone, 1½ teaspoons of the matcha, and finally fold in the egg whites. Set aside (if not using immediately, store covered in the fridge). Mix the remaining ½ teaspoon of matcha in the measured water. Quickly dip one side (and one side only) of a savoiardi biscuit into the matcha and layer, matcha-side up, in a baking dish or large bowl. Repeat until you have a nice, tight layer that covers the base of the dish. Cover the savoiardi with a thick layer of matcha cream. Repeat to make another layer of savoiardi dipped in matcha, and finish with another layer of cream. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (or for at least 4 hours, if you are in a hurry, but the longer the better). When ready to serve, dust with more matcha powder.甘 い 物 甘い物 SWEETS 甘 い 物 254 甘 MATCHA TIRAMISU Matcha Tiramisu SERVES 4–6 抹 茶 テ ィ ラ ミ ス I am generally not one for mashing up two such important cultural icons, but I have to admit that this is really good – the sweetness of the mascarpone cream and the bitterness of matcha are just a match made in heaven – to the point that matcha tiramisu has become a classic in its own right. I love this in a pretty bowl or you can do individual portions in glasses or ramekins. INGREDIENTS 3 eggs, separated 70 g (scant ⅓ cup) sugar 300 g (1¼ cups) mascarpone 2 teaspoons matcha (green tea powder, see note on page 250), plus extra for dusting 125 ml (½ cup) water 100 g (3½ oz) savoiardi biscuits (sponge fingers) METHOD To make the mascarpone cream, whisk the egg whites (make sure you use a very clean bowl – glass or metal is best – and very clean beaters to quickly get beautifully stiff whites) until you have soft, fluffy peaks that hold their shape. In a separate bowl, whip the egg yolks with the sugar until you have a creamy and pale mixture. Whip in the mascarpone, 1½ teaspoons of the matcha, and finally fold in the egg whites. Set aside (if not using immediately, store covered in the fridge). Mix the remaining ½ teaspoon of matcha in the measured water. Quickly dip one side (and one side only) of a savoiardi biscuit into the matcha and layer, matcha-side up, in a baking dish or large bowl. Repeat until you have a nice, tight layer that covers the base of the dish. Cover the savoiardi with a thick layer of matcha cream. Repeat to make another layer of savoiardi dipped in matcha, and finish with another layer of cream. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight (or for at least 4 hours, if you are in a hurry, but the longer the better). When ready to serve, dust with more matcha powder.Next >