YASAI NO SHIRA-AE
HIYASHI GYUNIKU SHABU
Vegetables with sesame-tofu dressing
Serves 4 as a side 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 125 g (4½ oz) momen (firm) tofu 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) Konbu dashi (page 205)
Mid
1 tablespoon salt, plus extra to taste
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1 bunch enoki mushrooms, cut into 2 cm (¾ in) lengths 150 g (5½ oz) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced 150 g (5½ oz) oyster mushrooms, torn 100 g (3½ oz) spinach or other leafy green vegetable
Using a mortar and pestle or suribachi (traditional Japanese grinder), grind the sesame seeds into a coarse powder. Add the tofu and 1 tablespoon of konbu dashi and grind until the mixture is the consistency of thick cream, adding a little more dashi if it is too thick. Taste and season with a little salt if required. 1
Fill a large bowl with iced water. Heat the remaining konbu dashi and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer the mushrooms in the dashi until softened, approximately 5 minutes. 2
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a colander and leave to drain. Increase the heat to high and bring the dashi to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, then drain and transfer to the bowl of iced water. Once cool, drain again and squeeze dry. 3
Combine the mushrooms and spinach in a serving bowl, coat with the tofu mix and serve. 4
This refreshing salad, perfect for the hot Japanese summers, is a twist on the traditional shabushabu, where pork or beef is cooked with a quick swish in hot broth (see page 178). We’ve used Japanese vegetables and herbs such as shiso (perilla) leaf and mizuna (Japanese mustard greens), which can be found in Asian greengrocers. Shiso has a distinct flavour and is hard to replace, but mizuna can be substituted with other greens like rocket or spinach. Serves 4 as a starter 200 g (7 oz) thinly sliced beef (see note) 1 handful mizuna (Japanese mustard greens) 1 Lebanese (short) cucumber, seeds removed, julienned ½ leek, white part only, julienned 1 carrot, peeled, julienne ½ bunch shiso (perilla) leaves, julienned Dressing 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
First, make the dressing. In a small frying pan over medium heat, dry-fry the sesame seeds until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, add the remaining dressing ingredients and stir to combine, then set aside. 1
On a serving plate, layer the mizuna on the bottom, then the beef, followed by the julienned vegetables. Pour the dressing over to finish. 3
Mid
Shira-ae – sesame seeds mixed with tofu to make a dressing – is an elevated form of goma-ae (sesame sauce; see page 73), but we find it hard to pick a favourite between the two! The tofu adds a wonderful creaminess to the dressing: a perfect match with leafy greens.
Chilled beef shabu salad
Fill a large bowl with iced water. Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer over medium heat and blanch the beef in the water briefly until it just changes colour, then immediately transfer it to the iced water to stop the cooking process. Drain well. 2
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2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons Katsuo dashi (page 204) or water 1 tablespoon mirin 1 onion, grated 1 tablespoon grated ginger 1 tablespoon oil
Note
Thinly sliced beef can also be found in Asian, Japanese or Korean supermarkets in the freezer section.