Shunju. Takashi Sugimoto
excess, dip it in the egg, and finally roll it in the sesame seeds to coat evenly. When the sesame coating has firmed, transfer to an oiled baking sheet.
4 Bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes. If the stalks are very long, slice in half crosswise. Serve immediately, with the mustard and soy sauce in small dishes on the side.
Crab crisps
Kani senbei
Serves 4
1/2 cup (100 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (70 g) king or snow crabmeat
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup (20 g) dried breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon koikuchi shoyu (soy sauce)
Pinch natural sea salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch white pepper
4 spring roll wrappers
This is one of our popular nibble foods, which we serve in the bar as well as in the restaurant. It makes an excellent accompaniment to a glass of wine. The crab topping can be prepared ahead of time but spread it only on the spring roll wrappers and bake just before serving.
1 Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C, gas 3).
2 Soften the cream cheese in a bowl with a spatula, and stir in the crab-meat and mayonnaise.
3 Mix in the dried breadcrumbs, soy sauce, salt, cayenne, and white pepper.
4 Place a spring roll wrapper on a cutting board and spread the crab/cream cheese mixture evenly with a rubber spatula.
5 Put the spring roll sheets on a cookie sheet and bake until lightly browned and crispy. Watch and turn carefully.
6 Serve on a flat bamboo basket lined with hanshi (Japanese writing paper; refer to Glossary).
Spring starters
Haru no otoshi
(from page 50)
Udo Dressed with Plum Sauce
(Udo no Bainiku Ae)
125 g udo, cannot be substituted
10 ml su (rice vinegar)
5 g bainiku (sieved flesh of salted plum), available at Japanese grocery stores
or can easily be made by sieving the salt preserved ume boshi.
5 g fresh wasabi
can be substituted with frozen wasabi
1 Peel udo with a vegetable peeler. Cut in half and soak in some water with the vinegar to remove the acid.
2 Combine all the ingredients to make the dressing.
3 Slice into 5 cm lengths, slice the piece in half lengthwise and slice the halves lengthwise into thin slices. Toss with the dressing.
Herb Marinated Sea Bream Sashimi
(Tai no Koso Marine)
40 g sashimi quality sea bream fillet
2 g natural sea salt
one pinch sugar
30 ml virgin olive oil
3 g lemon grass, can be substituted with any fresh herb of your choice
1 Prepare the sea bream into san mai oroshi cut (see page 244). Remove the skin.
2 Mix the salt and sugar well.
3 Sprinkle the filleted sea bream with the salt and sugar mixture. Let rest for 30 minutes.
4 Rinse the salt of the sea bream, pat dry and place in a dish with the olive oil and lemon grass. Marinate for 3 hours.
5 Remove the sea bream from the olive oil and slice into sogi giri cut (see page 247).
Miso-pickled cream cheese
Kurimu chiizu no miso zuke
Serves 4
1 teaspoon mirin
1 teaspoon koikuchi shoyu (soy sauce)
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
3 1/2 oz (100 g) moromi miso (a soft, brown spread of salt-pickled vegetable mixed with unfiltered soy sauce and miso), see Note
5 oz (125 g) cream cheese (any generic variety of cream cheese, e.g. Philadelphia, rather than marscapone, works better in this recipe as it is firmer and retains its shape for easier slicing)
1 baguette (French bread), cut crosswise into 16 slices and baked until brown and crispy
Chinmi are unusual and luxurious delicacies that are often eaten together with sake. Some of these choice food items, such as exquisite sea animals or fermented seafood innards, can be a little too exotic for younger Japanese, and non-Japanese, palates. This recipe for miso-pickled cream cheese was developed for just this reason and is perfect with a chilled glass of your favorite sake. The inspiration for this tasty snack came from a local delicacy of Kumamoto Prefecture, tofu pickled in miso. The miso-pickled cream cheese must be prepared a week in advance.
1 In a small bowl, combine the mirin, soy sauce, garlic, and moromi miso until well mixed.
2 In a Tupperware container that comfortably fits the cream cheese, spread half of the miso mixture. Wrap the cream cheese in a cheese cloth or kitchen paper and place on top of the miso mixture. Now spread the remaining half of the mixture on top so that the cream cheese is completely covered. Refrigerate for 1 week.
3 Remove the cream cheese from the miso pickling medium and slice into 16 slices. Let it return to room temperature and serve each slice on a piece of bread.
Note : Moromi miso is available from Japanese grocery stores but if you are unable to locate any, use aka miso (red miso) softened with some mirin.
Sake-steamed clams
Hamaguri no saka mushi
Serves 4
40 unopened clams, about 10 oz (300 g), thoroughly rinsed under running water
2/3 oz (20 g) naga negi (long welsh onion), substitute with white part of scallion (spring onion), finely chopped
1/4 clove garlic
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) sake
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
1 taka no tsume (dried hot red chili)
4 teaspoons koikuchi shoyu (soy sauce)
1 handful (5 g) fugu negi (welsh or ciboule onion stalks), substitute with green stalks of thin scallions (spring onions), finely chopped
Hamaguri,