TEMPURA
INGREDIENTS
1. For dipping sauce
1/4 cup dashi
1/2 cup light soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated (from about 3/4-inch piece)
1/2 cup daikon radish, finely grated (from about 4 1/2-inch piece)
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
2. For tempura
10 green beans, trimmed
12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail shells left intact
Salt and pepper
About 6 cups vegetable or peanut oil for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
10 fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 3/4 pound), stemmed
1 large white onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick rings
2-ounce piece fresh lotus root (about 1 1/2 inches long), peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick
slices
10 fresh shiso leaves
PREPARATION
Make dipping sauce
1. In small saucepan over moderate heat, stir together all ingredients. Bring to
simmer, then remove from heat and keep warm. (DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made ahead,
refrigerated in covered container up to 2 days, and rewarmed over moderate heat before
serving.)
Make tempura
2. Bring medium pot water to boil over high heat. Have large bowl ice water ready.
Add green beans to boiling water and blanch just until crisp-tender, about 30 seconds. Using
slotted spoon, immediately transfer to ice water to stop cooking, then drain well and dry on
paper towels.
3. Make several shallow cuts across inside curve of each shrimp and gently press
shrimp flat on cutting board (to help prevent curling during cooking). Sprinkle shrimp with salt
and pepper.
4. In large saucepan over moderate heat, heat 4 inches of oil until thermometer
registers 325°F.
5. In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and sesame oil.
Gradually and gently whisk in 2 1/2 cups ice water, mixing just until dry ingredients are
moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy.)
6. Working in batches, using tongs or chopsticks dip shrimp and vegetables into
batter and fry, turning occasionally, until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes for green beans, 2 minutes
for shrimp and other vegetables. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 325°F between
batches and, using spider or slotted spoon, remove any residual bits of batter from oil before
adding next batch.
7. To fry shiso leaves, gently lay each leaf on top of batter to coat 1 side, then drop,
batter-side-down, into oil and fry without turning until underside is golden, about 1 minute.
Transfer to paper towels to drain.
GOHAN – FLAVOURED RICE DISH
Serves: 4
Ingredients
White short-grain rice - 3/4 cups
Dashi (¾ cups)
Chicken thighs - (120 grams)
Sake - 1 Tbsp.
Soya Sauce - 2 Tbsp.
Shiitake mushrooms - 2 (dried)
Gobo (burdock root) - 42 g.
Carrot - 1 (small)
Konjac - 1/4
Method
Wash the rice and drain the water in a collander
Add the washed rice and dashi to a rice cooker and cook for a minimum of 30 minutes
Pour some warm water on the shiitake mushrooms, remove the stems
Cut the mushrooms in as thin slices as possible
Dice the chicken into half-inch cubes
Marinate the chicken in sake and soya sauce
Peel the gobo and shave it into a sharp point in a bowl of water
Now Julienne the carrots 1 1/4 inch matchsticks
Cut the konjac into half to reduce its thickness
In a small pot, boil the konjac for 1 minute and drain
Now add the chicken into the rice cooker
Stir well to mix
Lay all the other ingredients evenly on top of the rice and chicken mix
When the rice is nicely done, let it steam for 10 more minutes
Mix it with the vegetables
Serve
MITSUBA-NO-AEMONO
Ingredients
Smoked salmon - 50 g. (sliced)
Mitsuba - 50g.
For dressing:
Light soya sauce - 1Tsp.
Sake - 1Tsp.
Pinch of salt
Method
In a bowl, pour some water, add salt to it and boil the mitsuba in it
Drain the water and let the mitsuba cool
Drain excess water
Cut the mitsuba into 1-inch lengths
Peel the skin of the salmon and slice the skin diagonally into several strips
Add the mitsuba and salmon with the dressing and mix well
