The secret to delicious Japanese food lies in simple, fresh ingredients. Here,
in an exclusive extract from the Yo! Sushi chain’s new cookbook, we present
five quick, healthy recipes. Many ingredients are available in supermarkets
and healthfood stores and those that aren’t can be found in Japanese stores
or ordered online (see below).
GLOSSARY
Soba noodles Thin, dark buckwheat flour noodles
Nori Dried marine algae formed into paper-like sheets, used for sushi
Konbu Green dried kelp, a kind seaweed
Mirin Sweet type of saké used for cooking
Saké Japan’s traditional alcoholic drink make from fermented rice
Bonito flakes Dried shavings from bonito fish (also called skipjack
tuna)
Sushi vinegar Rice vinegar with added sugar and salt
Daikon Giant white Japanese radish
Yuzu Japanese citrus fruit that looks like a yellow tangerine
For the addresses of shops selling Japanese ingredients visit
www.atariya.co.uk. Or order ingredients online at www.japanesekitchen.co.uk
CHILLED SOBA NOODLE SALAD
Noodles originally came from China and have become the second staple in Japan
after rice. Chilled soba noodles are a refreshing summer favourite and are
often served in a bamboo basket. Serves 4
400g (14oz) dried soba noodles
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
100g watercress
100g red chard leaves
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 sheet nori, finely shredded
For the dressing:
200ml (7fl oz) soy dashi (see recipe, right)
2 tsp wasabi paste
Bring a large saucepan of water to a rapid boil and add the soba noodles. Stir
to ensure that all the noodle strands are separated. Stand by with a glass
of cold water and as soon as the cooking water threatens to boil over the
top of the pan, pour in the cold water. Test if the noodles are done by
lifting out a strand and taking a bite. The noodle should be tender all the
way through with no hard core. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water and
sprinkle with sesame oil. Toss well and set aside to drain.
To make the dressing, mix together the soy dashi and the wasabi paste. Put the
noodles and the salad leaves in a large mixing bowl and toss to mix. Divide
the noodle salad among 4 plates. Drizzle the dressing over the salad,
garnish with the chopped spring onions, sesame seeds and shredded nori.
Serve immediately.
YO! Sushi tip You can vary the amount of soba noodles to suit your
appetite and needs; the quantity given here is intended for lunch or a light
supper. Also vary the amount of wasabi paste according to taste –
remembering that you can always increase the heat, so start with less and
add more.
Soy dashi Soy dashi is brilliantly versatile and packed with flavour.
Use it as a marinade, a sauce for noodles or a seasoning for hot dishes.
This recipe makes about 520ml (18½ fl oz)
2 postcard-size pieces konbu (dried seaweed)
240ml mirin
100ml saké
200ml soy sauce
5g bonito flakes
Place the konbu in a nonstick frying pan and warm over a low heat for about 1
minute – this is to restore the flavour of the konbu. Put the mirin and saké
in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat to burn off the
alcohol. Add the soy sauce and bring back to the boil. Remove from the heat,
add the bonito flakes and leave to cool to room temperature. Line a sieve
with kitchen paper or a coffee filter and strain the sauce straight into a
glass storage jar. Discard the bonito. Add the pieces of konbu to the jar
and put on the lid.
Leave the sauce to infuse overnight before using. Keep refrigerated and use
within ten days.
SEARED TUNA SALAD
Searing the tuna seals in the flavour of the fish and gives you wonderfully
contrasting textures. The key to success is not to overcook it. Serves 4
4 tuna steaks, each weighing about
100g (3½oz)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and ground black pepper
½ white or red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tbsp rice vinegar
100g watercress
100g baby spinach leaves
40g daikon radish, finely shredded
10g fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
125ml (4½ fl oz) ponzu dressing (see recipe, right)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Preheat a heavy, cast-iron griddle until very hot. Brush the tuna steaks with
the oil and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, soak the sliced onion in
a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes – this takes away the oniony smell and
refreshes it.
Put the tuna steaks on the griddle and sear on one side for 1 minute, then
turn them over and cook the other side for just less than 1 minute. Remove
the steaks to a plate, drizzle with the rice vinegar and set aside to rest.
Drain the onion slices. Put the watercress, spinach, daikon and ginger in a
bowl and dress with the ponzu.
Divide the salad among four individual serving plates and sprinkle with the
sesame seeds.
Slice the tuna steaks into thick, bite-size chunks, arrange on top of the
salad and serve.
YO! Sushi tip If you can’t get hold of daikon, use ordinary salad
radishes instead
Ponzu dressing This is a light and tasty salad dressing. This recipe
makes about 300ml (10fl oz)
50ml cider vinegar
50ml rice vinegar
50ml lemon juice
50ml yuzu juice or lime juice
100ml soy sauce
Put all the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well
to combine. Keep refrigerated and use within 1 week.
All recipes © Kimiko Barber 2007. Extracted from YO! Sushi The
Japanese Cookbook (Collins, £15.99), which is available from Times
BooksFirst for £14.39, p&p free: 0870 1608080 or visit timesonline.co.uk/booksfirstbuy
SIMMERED BEEF WITH POTATOES
In this recipe, three unJapanese ingredients combine to make one of Japan’s
most quintessential examples of home cooking. Each family has its own
recipe, passed on from mother to daughter. Serves 4
400g (14oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
400ml (14fl oz) water dashi stock (see recipe, right)
1 onion, peeled and cut into
8 wedges
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp saké
4 tbsp soy sauce
300g topside or silverside beef, thinly sliced
50g mangetout, trimmed and blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, adding enough water to cover them, and
bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once the water boils, simmer for 10-12
minutes, then drain.
Put the parboiled potatoes back into the saucepan with the water dashi stock,
add the onion and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once the stock is
boiling, reduce the heat to low, add the sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Add
the saké and soy sauce and simmer for 10 minutes more before adding the
beef. Simmer for 4-5 minutes while spooning off any scum that surfaces.
Season with salt, if necessary, then remove from the heat, add the
mangetout, transfer to a large serving bowl and serve.
YO! Sushi tip If you want to make the dish more substantial, add
either prepared glass noodles or cooked udon noodles towards the end of
cooking.
Water dashi This flavoursome stock is not cooked but left to infuse
overnight, ready to use the next day. This recipe makes I litre (1¾ pints).
1 postcard-size piece of konbu
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
7g (¼oz) dried bonito flakes
1 litre water
Wipe the konbu clean with damp kitchen paper and make some tears in it to help
it to infuse. Put all the dry ingredients in a sealable glass or plastic
container and add the water. Chill in the refrigerator overnight and strain
before use. The dashi will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.
SAKÉ-MARINATED SOLE WITH STEAMED PAK CHOI
This is a fast, simple and failsafe way of cooking any delicately flavoured
white fish, such as sole. A wonderful aroma emerges as the impressive-looking
parcels are opened at the table. Serves 4
4 sole fillets, each weighing
100g (3½oz) ½ tsp sea salt
4 tbsp saké
4 tsp vegetable oil
4 heads pak choi, cleaned and cut in half lengthways
4 slices lemon or lime
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms (caps only – discard the stems)
4 sheets of baking parchment or foil, 30cm x 30cm (12in x 12in)
Place the sole fillets on a large plate, sprinkle with salt and sake and set
aside for 20 minutes. Do not pour away the saké when the fish has finished
marinating. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
Lightly brush the paper or foil with the oil. Place 2 pieces of pak choi in
the middle of each square and lay one fillet on top. Put a slice of lemon
and a shiitake mushroom on top of the fish and drizzle over the reserved
saké marinade. Gather together the edges of the paper or foil and seal
tightly to make a parcel.
Repeat this process for each piece of fish.
Place the 4 parcels on a baking tray and cook in the oven for ten minutes.
Serve the parcels on warm plates, letting your guests open them.
GREEN-TEA PRAWNS WITH CUCUMBER SALSA
The health benefits of green tea are well known: it helps to lower blood
pressure and is good for your skin. In addition to drinking it, use it in
your cooking to add a delicate flavour to dishes. Serves 4
20 large raw prawns
500ml (18fl oz) water
4 good-quality, green-tea tea bags
30g (1oz) salted butter
½ tsp ground Sichuan pepper or white pepper
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped for the salsa
2 baby cucumbers, deseeded and finely diced
12 salad radishes, finely sliced
A pinch of salt
2 tbsp sushi vinegar
Remove the heads and shells of the prawns. Make shallow slits along their
backs to remove the black vein but leave the tails on.
Bring the water to the boil in a frying pan and let the tea bags steep for 5
minutes. Remove the bags. Turn the heat down low, keeping the water at a
gently rolling boil, and cook the prawns for 3-5 minutes, so that they cook
through and take on the flavour of the green tea.
Carefully pour away all but two tablespoons of the tea and add the butter to
the prawn pan. Increase the heat until the butter begins to sizzle, then
remove from the heat and add the pepper and chopped chives.
In a small mixing bowl combine the cucumbers, radishes, salt and sushi vinegar.
Give each person five prawns and serve with the cucumber salsa.
Nutritionist’s verdict Japanese cooking makes use of many low-fat
sources of protein, including lean chicken and fish, which are vital for
good skin. The use of fish and shellfish also gives us a chance to stock up
on essential minerals, such as copper, found in prawns. Copper is vital for
the production of melanin and its related pigments needed to help our skin
to protect itself against damaging sun rays and for our hair to stop turning
grey.
Noodles make a great alternative to rice because they are low GI. This means
that they are digested slowly and keep you feeling fuller for longer. And
ingredients such as spring onions and leeks, found in many Japanese dishes,
are good for their sulphur-based super- nutrients, which are believed to
help fight bacterial, viral and fungal Infections and to help keep blood
flowing steadily.
Be careful when using soya, especially if you are watching your blood
pressure, because it is high in sodium (and therefore salt). Opt for reduced
sodium (salt) varieties instead. AMANDA URSELL (www.amandaursell.com)
