2 minute read
JAPANESE GARDEN
2011, ABOUT ALL THINGS JAPANESE
What are your main influences when cooking? These days it’s often ingredients themselves that dictate what I want to make. Last week, I had some excellent Sicilian fennel sausage and a very expensive tin of peeled yellow tomatoes. All they needed was some garlic and good olive oil and it made an exceptional dinner. Lately, I’ve also been buying this gorgeous tender stem cauliflower, which is great quickly boiled, served with sesame dressing or Kewpie mayo and sunflower seeds. And I am never far away from an aubergine craving – I cook it all the time, as caponata, Sichuan-style, or with a sweet miso glaze.
What is your favourite Japanese ingredient to cook with? Soy sauce because it’s so delicious and versatile. It’s even good in caramel (better than salt, in my opinion).
Do your family enjoy your approach to Japanese cooking, and can they cook, too? My mother has my cookbooks and she cooks from them often, which is nice. She has always been a great cook and I’m happy she has incorporated some Japanese dishes into her regular repertoire. If you can cook Japanese food in a small town in Wisconsin, then you can cook it anywhere!
What advice would you give to someone looking to approach Japanese cooking for the first time? Learn to cook Japanese rice properly – it is the crux of so many Japanese meals. It’s not difficult, but it may take some practice. Once you know how to make Japanese rice then you are really not far off making hundreds of Japanese meals – add miso soup, a simple vegetable dish and a protein, and you’re there.
Do you have any exciting plans upcoming for the year ahead? I’m putting tripe back on the menu at Nanban, which I am very excited about!
Do you have any Le Creuset pieces that you always return to? I have a big, violet shallow casserole that I love. It’s so versatile. Just the other day I used it to make an excellent aubergine and celery stir-fry with loads of chilli bean paste and ginger. It’s great for roasting vegetables, pasta sauces, fried rice, all kinds of things.
If any of our readers are planning to visit Japan this year, do you have any must-do recommendations? Go out on your own, find a friendly-looking place, and have a few drinks with some locals. They’re so accommodating if you get involved!
TIM ANDERSON'S RECIPES FOR ‘PRIMAVERA’ FRIED RICE (TOP DISH) AND HOT BEEF AND MUSTARD (CENTRE DISH) CAN BE FOUND AT LECREUSET.CO.UK
