I love shopping in Japanese grocery stores. There are plenty of items with which to stock up the pantry, as well as loads of other intriguing goods to look at. Ume products. Noodles various. Seaweeds of all shapes. And dried mysterious things in beautifully designed packets.
Yet for the following recipes I’ve stayed with the more familiar items and, while the ingredients can also be found in most supermarkets, I guarantee you’ll like them and have a true taste of Japan on your table. The smoky, fried edamame are streets ahead of the normal steamed ones and the soup is delicious, healthy and easy to make.
For my next home-cooked Japanese meal I’ll delve into something more challenging, but for the time being I’m going to have a cup of matcha green tea and a handful of Meiji chocolate almonds while I think about it.
Caren
WOK FRIED EDAMAME
500 gm frozen edamame
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons flaked sea salt
Thaw the edamame by running the pods under lukewarm water. Tip the pods into a clean tea towel and dry them thoroughly.
Heat a wok, add the oils and the dried edamame. Stir-fry until the pods begin to char a bit.
Tip the pods into a serving bowl and add the salt.
Cool slightly and serve with an extra bowl for the used pod shells.
CHICKEN AND MISO MUSHROOM SOUP
Serves 6 as an entree
500 ml water
1 medium sized chicken breast
½ teaspoon salt
1.5 litre dashi stock, see note
120 gm shiro miso paste
½ tablespoon finely grated young ginger, or more to taste
1 teaspoon wasabi paste, or more to taste
6 button mushrooms, thickly sliced
6 small Swiss brown mushrooms, thickly sliced
150 gm enoki mushrooms, root ends removed
200 gm pure buckwheat soba noodles
1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
3 finely sliced spring onions
1 nori sheet, shredded
Place the 500ml of water, chicken breast and salt into a medium saucepan and bring it the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover and allow the chicken to cool in the liquid for at least 30 minutes. The chicken can be prepared in advance and kept in the liquid as it will reheat when you finally place it in the soup.
Bring the dashi stock to a boil, immediately lower the heat to a simmer and whisk in the shiro miso, ginger and the wasabi.
The soup can be made ahead to this stage if desired.
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and divide between 6 bowls.
Shred the chicken and place a sixth in each bowl. Discard the liquid or add a bit of it to the soup base.
Add the mushrooms to the soup base and simmer for 3 minutes.
Ladle the soup into the bowls. Top with the seeds, spring onions and nori. Serve with more wasabi and some g-f soy sauce to taste.
Dashi Stock
In Japanese cuisine the quality of the dashi stock is the determinant for the quality of many traditional dishes. You can make it the authentic way with water, kombu (dried kelp) and dried bonito shavings but there are alternatives. Take a trip to your Japanese market and look for handy sachets that contain all the ingredients for dashi stock which one steeps in boiling water, like a teabag, or there are gluten-free instant granules available. Head for the internet if more information is required.