How To Make Dashi

Preparation Time:

3 hours

Cooking Time:

5 minutes

Step 1:

You will need:

• 1 ltr Water
• 20 g Dried Kelp
• 20 g Smoked dried bonito flakes
• 50 ml Cold water
• 1 large sauce pan
• 1 muslin lined sieve
• 1 bowl

Step 2:

Soak the kelp

Place the kelp in a saucepan in the one litre of water and leave it to soak for at least two hours to properly expand, but for no more than five hours as it will become bitter.

Then put the saucepan on a high heat.

Just before the water reaches boiling point, when it just begins to bubble, use chopsticks or other suitable utensils to remove the kelp. Keep the water boiling for one more minute. Turn the heat off and pour in the 50 millilitres of cold water to cool it quickly

Step 3:

Bonito flakes

Add the 20 grams of bonito flakes and leave them to soak for about 15 minutes. By this time all of the flakes will have sunk to the bottom.

Step 4:

Time to strain

Put the sieve lined with the muslin cloth over the bowl and strain the Dashi through.

Gather the cloth from each corner and carefully lift to create a pouch containing the bonito flakes. Squeeze the cloth gently to aid the liquid through, but don't press too hard or wring it, just let it drip.

How To Make Vegetable Tempura

Serves:

2

Preparation Time:

15 minutes

Cooking Time:

5 minutes

Step 1:

You Will Need:

• some vegetables
• 250 ml ice cold water
• 250 g plain flour
• 150 g cornflour
• some oil , for deep frying
• 200 ml Dashi
• 60 ml mirin
• 40 ml soy sauce
• some ginger , to garnish
• some daikon- Japanese white radish , to garnish
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 freezer bag
• 1 saucepan
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 chopping board
• some cocktail sticks
• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 tempura pan/ heavy bottomed saucepan
• 1 chopsticks/ fork
• 1 grater
• some paper towels

Step 2:

Chill ingredients

Before you begin, put 200 grams or 7oz of plain flour, and 150 grams or 5.3 oz of corn flour together in an airtight bag and place it in the freezer. Cooling these ingredients will help to keep the tempura batter light.

Step 3:

Make the sauce

Reiko judges her sauce ingredient quantities by eye, but she suggests that you add the following quantities to a saucepan: First add 200 millilitres or 7fl oz of dashi and turn the heat on low. Then add a pinch of salt, 60 millilitres or 2.1 fl oz of mirin and 40 millilitres or 1.4 fl oz of soy sauce. Stir gently. As soon as it begins to simmer turn off the heat and leave it to cool while you make the tempura.

Step 4:

Chop the vegetables

Chop the ends off the asparagus, if it is not ready prepared. Cut the onion into semi-circular pieces. Spear each piece with a cocktail stick - this will stop the rings from separating as they cook.

Chop the pepper into quarters and remove the insides and seeds. Slice into small, bite-sized portions.

Step 5:

Prepare the garnish

Take the fresh ginger and carefully peel about 2cm, or just over half and inch, from one end. Then finely grate this section. A normal grater is fine. Next take the Daikon, that's the Japanese white radish. Cut off a reasonable sized chunk, peel, and grate. Now put the ginger and Daikon to one side.

Step 6:

Make the batter

Get the chilled flour mixture out of the freezer and tip it into a mixing bowl. Take 250 millilitres or 8.8floz of water. Add a little to the flour and roughly mix with chopsticks, or a fork. Add the rest of the water a little at a time. Be careful not to over-mix - the lumps give tempura it's unique texture.

Step 7:

Heat the oil

You can use any deep heavy bottomed pan or wok. Fill the pan about 2 inches deep with oil - there needs to be enough oil to fully cover the tempura pieces once they are in the pan. A tempura pan has a special lid that prevents the oil from splashing out, so if you don't have one, be sure to be very careful. Put the pan on the hob over a high heat. It will take about 10 minutes for the oil to reach the right temperature.

Step 8:

Dip and Fry

Dip each vegetable piece first in a little plain flour, then in the batter, making sure that it is completely covered. Then use a chopstick or whatever you are comfortable with to place it in the oil. Repeat this process for all of the vegetables. Put the smaller vegetables, in this case the asparagus, in last as they take less time to cook.

Don't cram the vegetables in - each piece needs to be able to float freely. Move them about frequently to make sure that the tempura is covered in oil and cooked evenly. Once they have turned golden brown, which should be after about a minute, they are cooked.

Remove them from the pan one by one, shaking off any excess oil as you go, and place them on some paper towel.

Step 9:

Serve

Display the tempura either on a tempura rack or on any serving plate. Put the warm sauce from earlier in a separate bowl and serve alongside and place the daikon and ginger garnish on another dish. You could serve the tempura with rice for a fuller meal.

How To Make Salmon Nigiri

Serves:

1

Preparation Time:

3 minutes

You will need:

• some sushi rice
• 1 salmon fillet
• some wasabi
• knife
• bowl of water

Step 2:

Slice

Slice the fish into rectangles that are about 5cm by 4cm and half a centimetre thick.

Step 3:

Form the Nigiri

First, dip your hands in a bowl of water. This will make the rice easier to handle.

Pick up a strip of fish in one hand and a ball of rice in the other. Smear a pinch of wasabi onto the fish and lay the rice on top.

Flip the nigiri over, lightly squeeze and turn to ensure that it is evenly pressed. Let's see that again; fish, wasabi, rice flip it over and turn to ensure that it is evenly pressed.

This hand-turning method is called te-geashi. It's purpose is to make the sushi evenly pressed without mashing the rice.

Step 4:

Serve

Nigiri is always served in pairs to symbolise peace. They are usually served with other sushi dishes, recipes for which can be found on the VideoJug website.

How To Prepare Sashimi - Salmon, Tuna & Yellowtail

Step 1:

You will need:

• 1 Salmon
• 1 Yellowtail
• 1 Tuna
• some Shredded Japanese radish-Daikon
• some chiso leaves
• 1 very sharp knife
• 1 serving plate
• 
  

Step 2:

What is Sashimi?

Sashimi is simply slices of raw, usually salt water fish, like yellow tail, tuna, sea bream and squid, to name just a few. The freshness and quality of the fish is absolutely crucial, the flavours will be delicate and the texture should melt.

Step 3:

The fish

Purchase your fish from a fish specialist and let them know you are buying it for Sashimi.

Indication of freshness include moist, shiny, bright skin and firm flesh. Fish should also smell of the sea, not a pungent fishy aroma. Ask your fish monger to prepare the fish into suitable strips for sashimi.

Step 4:

Preparing the fish

Take your prepared strip of fish, and cut it into equal bite sized pieces

Importantly the knife should slice cleanly through the fish in one action, never use a sawing motion as this will crush the cells. Make sure your knife is very sharp.

Step 5:

Serving the Sashimi

Now it's time to make a bed for the sashimi. Take a hand full of daikon and twist it into a ball. Place this onto your serving plate. Select a nice looking Chiso leaf, and place this on the daikon.

Finally arrange the sashimi slices neatly on top.

Itadakemasu. That's Japanese for enjoy your meal.

How To Make Cucumber Maki

Cucumber Maki Recipe. A quick, expert led clip showing you how to make a Maki sushi roll. Seaweed sheets, cucumber and rice are combined the authentic, Japanese way. A must for all sushi connoisseurs. Devour our Cucumber Maki recipe.

Serves:

1

Step 1:

You will need…

• some Nori
• some Sushi Rice
• some Cucumber strips
• some sesame seeds
• 1 Sushi Rolling mat
• 1 Knife
• 1 Bowl of water

Step 2:

Lay it out

Moisten your hands in a bowl of water. This will stop the rice from sticking to your fingers. Then spread a layer of sushi rice over the nori.

Leave about 1 cm, or half an inch bare at the top – you will need this bare strip to hold the roll in place. Make sure the rice lies evenly over the Nori as this will make the rolling stage far easier.

Step 3:

Fillings

Put the Nori and rice onto the makisu. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds, and then lay the cucumber strips horizontally across the centre

Step 4:

Roll

Using the makisu, fold the maki and apply pressure. This shapes the maki. Fold the mat forwards once again and apply more pressure.

Step 5:

Slice

To ensure a smooth cut, dip the end of your knife in water. Slice the maki in half. Trim off the uneven ends. Then cut the maki into 6 even pieces.

Display the maki on a plate with each piece facing up.

How To Make A California Roll Uramaki

California Roll Uramaki Recipe. The most popular sushi dish and a favourite with the Japanese. California Rolls are the perfect introduction to the healthy fast food that's here to stay. Savour our California Roll Uramaki recipe.Uramaki is a sushi roll made with the rice on the outside and the seaweed on the inside. Uramaki can be made with a number of different fillings. This recipe uses a crab, avocado and mayonnaise filling. This is known as a California roll Uramaki

Preparation Time:

5 minutes

Step 1:

You will need:

• Crab meat
• 2 Avocado strips
• Japanese mayonnaise
• 1 nori/ seaweed sheets
• sushi rice
• roe
• 1 sushi rolling mat
• 1 knife
• 1 bowl of water

Step 2:

Lay it out

Place the rolling mat on a flat surface, we have covered it in cling film so it can be cleaned easily.

Lay the nori, that's the seaweed, on top, closest to edge that is nearest to you.

Moisten your hands in the bowl of water. Then spread a thin layer of the specially prepared sushi rice on top of the nori. Make sure the rice evenly covers the nori and press it down firmly, ensuring the rice has stuck, without mashing the kernels.

Step 3:

Arrange the fillings

Flip the nori over so that it is laying rice side down.

Lay the avocado strips horizontally across the centre of the nori. Squeeze a line of mayonnaise next to this. If your mayonnaise is not in a squeezy container you can use a knife to spread a thin line instead.

Arrange the crab on top of the mayonnaise. Make sure the fillings lie evenly as this will make fir a better roll.

Step 4:

Roll

Carefully lift up the side of the mat nearest to you and fold it over to make a cylindrical shape. Tuck in the edge of the nori with your fingers to make a complete roll

Continue pressing the roll gently, using your fingers to compress and shape the Uramaki. Make sure not to press it too hard but do ensure it is of a good even size.

Step 5:

Roe

To complete the roll place the Uramaki in a container of roe and keep turning it until it is covered. If you don't have such a large amount of roe, you could use your hands to press the roe into the roll

Step 6:

Slice it up

Cut the roll in two. Lay the two sides parallel to each other and slice them into 6 pieces.

TOP TIP
Dipping the end of your knife in the water bowl will make it easier to slice cleanly through the roll.

Step 7:

Presentation

Turn each slice on its side allowing you to see the colours and pattern of the fillings, and display on a serving plate.

How To Make Miso Soup

Miso Soup Recipe. This delicious and nutritious soup is an essential element to Japanese cuisine. Follow Reiko's simple steps in preparing this famous dish. Delight in our Miso Soup recipe.

Serves:

4

Preparation Time:

10 minutes

Cooking Time:

10 minutes

Step 1:

You will need:

• 5 g dried seaweed (wakame)
• 120 g fresh soft tofu or long life silken tofu
• 400 ml dashi OR 400 ml (14.1 fl oz) of water and ½ tsp powdered dashi
• 1 ½ tbsp miso paste
• 2 medium spring onions
• 1 measuring jug
• 1 saucepan
• 1 small bowl
• 1 cup
• 1 tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 chopping board

Step 2:

Heat the Dashi

Pour the dashi into a large sauce pan, place it on the hob and turn the heat up high

Step 3:

Soak the wakame

Meanwhile put the 5 grams or 0.2 oz of dried wakame in a small bowl, and add enough water to cover it well. The seaweed will soak up the water and expand.

Step 4:

Melt the miso

Put one and a half tablespoons of miso paste in a cup, add enough spoonfuls of dashi from the pan to melt it. Give it a good stir to make sure it is thoroughly dissolved. Then pour into the pan and stir.

Step 5:

The tofu

Cut the tofu into cubes of about 1 cm, or half an inch square. 120 grams or 4oz is a good guide for this recipe but you can add more, or less depending on your taste. Add it to the saucepan and turn the heat down.

Step 6:

Add the wakame

Finally add the soaked wakame and leave the soup on a low heat for a couple of minutes to warm all of the ingredients. Do not let it boil as this will impair the flavours.

Step 7:

Serve the Miso Soup

Turn off the heat and ladle the soup into individual bowls. Finally, chop the spring onion, add to the bowl and serve. Traditionally Miso soup is eaten at the end of a meal, or as a nutritious breakfast. To enjoy it the authentic way, use chopsticks for the solid ingredients and sip the liquid straight from the bowl.

How To Make Sushi Rice

Sushi Rice Recipe. So you want to prepare your own sushi but don't know where to start? Well, you've come to the right place. Watch and learn from Reiko Hashimoto's expert advice in cooking perfect sushi rice, the basis of every sushi dish. Appreciate our Sushi Rice recipe.

Preparation Time:

30 minutes

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

Step 1:

You will need:

• 3 cups (750ml) sushi rice
• 3 1⁄3 cups (830ml) water
• ½ cups (120ml) rice vinegar
• ¼ cups (60ml) sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dashi- concentrated or powdered fish stock
• 1 small saucepan
• 1 large saucepan with a lid
• 1 spoon
• 1 large flat bottomed bowl, preferably wooden
• 1 flat spatula, plastic or wood
• 1 fan
• 1 large glass bowl

Step 2:

Rinse the rice

Put the three cups of rice in a large bowl. Lightly rinse by adding enough cold water to half fill the bowl and swill it around with the rice. Pour the water off. Scrunch the rice about in the bowl with your hand. Then rinse, swill and drain again and repeat the scrunching action. Keep following this pattern until the water is almost clear - this could take 3 or 4 attempts. Transfer the rinsed rice into a large saucepan. Pour in 3 and a third cups of water and leave it to soak for at least 30 minutes. As it soaks, the rice will become whiter, and the water will appear clearer.

Step 3:

Prepare the sushi vinegar

Put half a cup of rice vinegar, quarter of a cup of sugar, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of powdered Dashi into the small saucepan.

Heat gently and stir to ensure that the sugar and salt dissolve. Don't let the mixture boil as this will impair the flavour, only heat long enough to completely dissolve all the ingredients. Then turn off the heat, and leave it to cool while you prepare the rice.

Step 4:

Cook the rice

Put the pan on the hob with the lid securely on top, and turn the heat to high.

Avoid lifting the lid at all times through out the cooking process as this will allow the steam to escape

When the rice begins to boil reduce the heat and leave to simmer for fifteen minutes.

After the fifteen minutes are up, turn off the heat and leave the rice to stand for another 15 minutes.

Step 5:

Stir in the sushi vinegar

Transfer the rice into a large wooden bowl.

Pour over the sushi vinegar. Use the spatula in a cutting motion to fold the mixture into the rice. While you are folding use your other hand to fan the rice. Keep fanning and folding until the rice has reached room temperature. This could take up to 10 minutes.

Step 6:

Ready to serve

It's best to use the rice immediately. It should be shiny and sticky, with each grain separated and not mashed together. It should be used at room temperature. If you don't need it straight away, cover the bowl with a damp cloth. This will prevent it from becoming too hard.

Stuffed Shiitake

stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms with a sesame sauce

stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms with a sesame sauce

This is a dish very quick and easy to make, the pork mince matches the texture of the shiitake very well. The sweetness of the sauce and the spicy shichimi make it a bite sized dish full of flavour.

Ingredients

• 6 Shiitake Mushrooms
• Pork mince 30g
• 1 tsp of Soy sauce
• 1 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 tsp of cornflour

Sauce Ingredients

• 2 tbs of soy sauce
• 2 tbs of sugar
• 2 tbs of mirin
• 1 tbs of oil

Method

1. Cut off the shiitake stork, coat the inside of the shiitake with cornflour. Finely chop the shiitake storks and mix with the pork mince.
2. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil to the pork mince, mix well. put the stuffing into the shiitake.
3. Heat a pan at a medium tempurature, add the oil and cook the shiitake on both sides for 10 minutes.
4. Finally, add the sauce (soy sauce, sugar and mirin) to the pan until sauce thickens.
5. Lightly cover with shichimi powder.

Sweet Fried Sardines

Lightly fried Sardine with sweet soy dressing

Lightly fried Sardine with sweet soy dressing

Ingredients

• 2 Sardines
• Half an Onion
• Half a Carrot
• Half a Green pepper
• 2 tbs of Corn flour
• 4tbs of vinegar
• 4tbs of soy sauce
• 3tbs of sugar
• 1tsp of dashi

Method

1. Cut the vegetables into long very thin slices.
2. Take off the sardine heads, tail and fin. wash the inside stomach using salt water.
3. Put the vegetables, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and dashi in to the pan and boil for 2 minutes.
4. Coat the sardine’s with corn flour and deep fry at 170c for about 7minutes.
5. Mix the vegetables and sardines and leave to stand for about 10minutes. Alternatively you could keep them in the fridge overnight and eat as a cold dish.

Reimen Noodles

spicy Korean Cold noodles with char sui pork

spicy Korean Cold noodles with char sui pork

Korean food is one of my house’s favourite cuisines, Reimen Noodles make a good light lunch or dish to eat after having yakiniku (Korean BBQ). In this recipe I have topped with egg, cucumber and cha sui pork, I will create the char sui recipe soon!

Ingredients

• so-men for 2 people
• 1cm cucumber
• 1 boiled Egg
• 2tbs of Korean chili miso paste
• 2tbs of soy sauce
• 1tbs of sesame oil
• 1tbs of honey
• 1tbs of sesame seeds
• 1tbs of water

Method

1. Slice the cucumber.
2. Boil the so-men as instructed on the packaging, wash them in cold water and then drain off the water.
3. Mix all the sauce ingredients into a big bowl.
4. Mix the sauce with so-men until coated evenly.
5. Top with cucumber and a boiled egg.

Ebi Chilli Sauce

Japanese sweet and sour fried prawns

Japanese sweet and sour fried prawns

Introduction

Ebi Chilli Sauce is one of my husbands favourite meals, it is a very easy dish to prepare and cook. The recipe is very flexible and could be made with any combination of seafood, meat or vegetables. I usually prepare the dish with Ebi / Prawns, but chicken would work just as well. You may also like to add some carrots to add some bite (gentle pan fry).

Ingredients

• 10 King Prawns
• A Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• 1 tbs of Corn Flour
• 1 Finely Chopped Clove of Garlic
• Chopped Ginger roughly the same size as the Garlic Clove
• 1 tbs of Tobian Jian (see ingredients page for more details)
• 1 Finely Chopped Spring Onion
• 1 tbs of Sesame Oil
• Chicken Stock 80cc
• 2 tbs of Tomato Ketchup
• 2 tbs of Granulated Sugar
• 2 tsp of Japanese Soy Sauce / Light Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp of Oyster Sauce

Method

1. Mix the Chicken Stock, Tomato Ketchup, Sugar, Soy Sauce and Oyster Sauce and leave.
2. Remove the Prawn shells, and score the back removing the black / translucent vein, wash, season with salt and pepper and coat with the corn flour.
3. Heat a wok or frying pan at a medium heat, add the garlic, ginger, tobian jian and prawns cooking until the prawns turn pink.
4. Add the sauce to the pan, simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
5. If you like, add some white vinegar to taste.
6. Serve with Japanese Rice, or Egg Fried Rice. Enjoy!

Marble Cake

a quick to make chocolate sponge cake

a quick to make chocolate sponge cake

This is a quick to prepare cake which can be made from start to finish in under an hour. This is one of my first attempts at this cake. I also read that instead of chocolate you could try green tea!

Ingredients

qwel and maker the harvest

• Self raising flour 120g
• Baking Powder 4g
• Honey 80g
• Oil 100cc
• Egg 2
• 1tbs of Cocoa
• 1tbs of Sugar
• 1tbs of hot water

Method

1. Mix the self raising flour, honey, oil and eggs well.
2. Put the cocoa, sugar and hot water into a bowl and mix well. Add a third of the cake mixture and mix well. (now you have a plain filling and cocoa filing)
3. Add the plain and cocoa filling into a cake tin.
4. Bake for 40minutes 170 C.

Okonomiyaki aka Japanese Pizza

Ingredients: Okonomiyaki means "whatever you like, grilled in Japanese". It's one definition of "Japanese pizza" because, well, it does kinda look like pizza, and you eat it like one too. Today we'll be making Osaka-style Okonomiyaki. It's also popular in Hiroshima, but it's a little harder to make and doesn't appear to pay off much more in the taste department! Base: 1 cup flour 3/4 cup dashi (or water, see below)* 1 egg 1/8-1/4 of a cabbage Toppings - any of the below: Chicken Roast pork or beef Squid, Octopus, other seafood Corn Mushrooms Onion Garnishing - any of the below, if you can find it and actually want it: Katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flakes) Sakura-ebi (dried shrimps) Beni-shoga (red ginger) Ao-nori (green seaweed) Sauces: Okonomiyaki sauce (or tonkatsu sauce) Mayonnaise * Dashi is japanese stock, used in heaps of different recipes . When made up it smells like smoked fish and seaweed. You can buy it from oriental grocers in sachets that come in boxes like the one to the right of the beer in the picture above. Just mix up a bit with some hot water. If you can't find it, it's okay - just use water.
Step 1: So firstly grab that cabbage and chop it up finely. Better to have too much than too little because it shrinks a little as it cooks, and it's mega cheap anyway. Get out as much of the white stem parts as you can.
Step 2: Now break an egg into a large bowl and pour in the dashi/water, and the flour.
Step 3: Then beat with a whisk until smooth.
Step 4: Now add some of the finely chopped cabbage and mix as best you can. It should end up looking like this.
Step 5: Heat up your skillet, electric frypan, grill, whatever you're going to use to cook this baby. Preferably use something that's got teflon on it :-)
Step 6: Now prepare your toppings. I'm using Chinese BBQ pork slices, a little bell pepper, some onion, mushrooms, parsely and spring onion. Just chop it all up good.
Step 7: Throw it all in the frypan with some oil (sesame is good) to keep it all well-lubed. Cook until either heated through or in the case of raw meat or veges, for a few minutes until it's getting close to being cooked.
Step 8: Arrange the nearly cooked toppings in a round...
Step 9: Then throw the cabbage/dough mixture on top, also in a round!
Step 10: Turn up the heat a little to medium and let that bad boy cook through for 5 minutes or so. Then flip it. In the picture below, I had to cut the round in half to flip it, which doesn't matter because we'll be cutting it into pieces later anyway. You could always make two okonomiyaki instead! Let it cook for another 5-10 minutes. You can break away a bit of the dough bit when it doesn't look raw any more and see if the cabbage and dough is cooked through.
Step 11: Flip it out onto a plate and cover liberally with Okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise! OH GOD MY TASTEBUDS!
Step 12: Cut, serve and savour! Bon apetit.

Thai Salad Sauce

Thai noodle salad dressing

Thai noodle salad dressing

This Sauce is good for any kind of salad, particularly, Thai rice noodle salad

Ingredients

• 4tbs of lemon
• 4tbs of fish sauce
• 2tbs of sugar
• 1 chopped clove of garlic
• A few stems of coriander
• Half a chopped red chili

Method

1. mix all ingredients well using a pestal and mortar.
   

Thai Salad Sauce

Thai noodle salad dressing

Thai noodle salad dressing

This Sauce is good for any kind of salad, particularly, Thai rice noodle salad

Ingredients

• 4tbs of lemon
• 4tbs of fish sauce
• 2tbs of sugar
• 1 chopped clove of garlic
• A few stems of coriander
• Half a chopped red chili

Method

1. mix all ingredients well using a pestal and mortar.
   

Somen, Hiyamugi (Somen and Hiyamugi noodles)

Somen and Hiyamugi are commonly eaten during the hot time. Somen and Hiyamugi are made by kneading wheat flour and salt. Somen and hiyamugi are very similar noodles. Ingredients (serves 4): 200g (0.4lb) somen noodles or hiyamugi noodles ice cubes to use in cooling the noodles [Dipping Sauce] 10cm (4 inches) kelp (kombu) 50g (0.1 lb) dried bonito (katsuobushi) 2.5 cups (17 floz/500ml) water 1 cup (6.8 floz/200ml) mirin 1 cup (6.8 floz/200ml) soy sauce (shoyu) [Garnishes] 10cm (4 inches) green onion 2 myoga (myoga ginger) 4 perilla leaves (aojiso or oba)
[Dipping Sauce] 1. In a pot, soak the kelp in 2.5 cups (17 floz /500ml) of water for 10 minutes. 2. Place the pot over heat. 3. Remove the kelp just before boiling, add the dried bonito and cook for 1 minute. 4. Remove the pot from the heat and leave to stand until the bonito pieces sink to the bottom. 5. Remove the bonito and set the liquid aside. 6. Pour the liquid into a pot and bring it to the boil.
7. Add the mirin and soy sauce and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool until it reaches room temperature. 8. Cool the sauce in a refrigerator.
[Noodles and Garnish] 1. Bring a pot of water to the boil. 2. Place the hiyamugi or somen noodles in the boiling water and cook by following the instructions on the packet.(Many Japanese prefer al dente noodles removed from the heat around 30 seconds before serving) 3. Drain and rinse the noodles to remove any stickiness and to also make them firm.
4. Cut the green onions and myoga ginger into round pieces. Shred the perilla leaves.
5. Prepare a bowl filled with water and ice cubes. On top of the ice cubes, place the noodles shaped in one-bite size balls as this presentation helps in self serving.
6. At a table, let everyone help themselves and dip the noodles into the sauce to taste.
*If the dipping sauce is already prepared, just boil the noodles and prepare the garnish. This is an easy and delicious recipe to enjoy at lunch on a hot summer day. Don't forget to cool the dipping sauce before serving. *Both hiyamugi and somen noodles are made from wheat, but hiyamugi is thicker than somen. Hiyamugi is chewier while somen is smoother and with a lighter taste. Many Japanese enjoy these noodles in various forms year round. The cool noodles are especially popular in summer, as is a hot noodle soup called "nyumen" in winter.
Vegetable Side Dish: Ingen no Goma-ae Green beans in sesame sauce Ingredients (serves 4): 200g (0.4 lb) green beans (ingen) 3 tbsps roasted sesame seeds (iri goma) 2 tbsps soy sauce 1 tsp salt
Cooking Directions: 1. Boil the water in a pot. Put the salt and green beans into the boiling water and boil for 1 minute.
2. Drain the green beans, and cut into 3cm (about 1 inch) pieces.
3. Sprinkle the grated sesame seeds and soy sauce over the beans and mix in well.
Tips: *To guarantee the best possible flavor, freshly roasted and grated sesame seeds are recommended. *Be careful not to over boil the beans - boiling time should be no longer than 1 minute to retain the natural crispness of the beans.
Japanese Liquid Measures: 1 cup = 200ml = 6.76 fl oz 1 tablespoon = 15ml = 0.5 fl oz 1 teaspoon = 5ml = 0.16 fl oz

Teuchi-udon (Udon noodles)

Ingredients (serves 5): 5 cups (1.1lb/500g) wheat flour (churikiko) *NB: Some extra flour is needed to use in the cooking process. 1 cup (6.76 floz/200ml) water *spring/autumn 1 +1/5 tbsps (18g) salt *spring/autumn Sea salt / Common salt (pure salt is good) *Salt-water mixture - the amount and density varies depending on the season summer: 190ml water plus 21g salt winter: 215ml water plus 15g salt Tools: Bowl: Diameter 30-50cm (the bigger, the easier to use) Weighing scales: for 1kg-3kg weights Rolling pin 1 heavy plastic bag Breadboard (a family-sized table can be used instead) Chopping board Knife (vegetable-cutting knife) Large saucepan (the largest pan you have) Sieve
Cooking Directions: 1. Mixing: Pour the wheat flour into a mixing bowl. Add the salt-water mixture. Begin by slowly pulling up the mixture, gently mixing the water into the flour.
2. Mixing, kneading: Spread your fingers out in the shape of a fork and mix the flour, water and air together. Repeat until sufficiently mixed. The objective is to make dough with the same feel as that of your earlobe.
3. Put the mixture in a thick plastic bag and place it on a protective sheet (ex. a newspaper) on the floor.
4. Press the mixture by treading upon it with the heels of your feet and turn around so as to tread over all of it.
5. Then make the flattened mixture into a ball, repeat treading and ball-making 2-3 times.
6. The next step is to ferment the ball-shaped mixture in the plastic bag. In summer, this takes around 30 minutes-1 hour, in spring or autumn, 1-2 hours and in winter, 2-3 hours.
7. Hand rolling: Roll out the mixture on the breadboard. The 1st time, to maintain the thickness, lightly spread out the mixture with the rolling pin. Apply your weight whilst rolling out the folds. After spreading out the mixture, turn the rolling pin 90 degrees and spread out the mixture in the other direction. Add flour to its surface. Whilst rolling out the mixture, with your hands first in the center, gradually move them to the ends of the rolling pin. Repeat this 3 or 4 times until the dough becomes flat and approximately 3-4 mm thick. (At this point, make sure both sides are sufficiently covered with flour. This is so it does not stick when cutting). With the mixture on the top of the chopping board, fold it over on itself 3 or 4 times and then pull the rolling pin out from the side.
8. Cutting with the knife: Cut with a knife at 3-4 mm intervals. Hold the knife at right angles to the mixture, and cut the noodles by moving the knife in a vertical direction downwards. Once you have cut the noodles, with both hands, carefully brush off the excess flour.
9. Boiling and washing with water: Using the biggest pan you have (the bigger, the better), boil the water. Only add the noodles when the water has completely come to the boil, and you can hear the bubbles. The noodles will come to the surface (under a strong heat), stir them using long chopsticks. After 8-12 minutes, the noodles will become more transparent.
10. Straight after you have removed the noodles at this point and drained the hot water, wash them in water. Quickly wash the noodles in cold water with your hands. (This is to remove the excess slimy coating that has formed on the noodles from the hand rolling step).
Serving Hint: Zaru Udon The noodles are removed with a sieve, and are washed in a bowl of water to remove any residue from their surface. Then, they are piled up on a zaru (traditional serving dish similar to a sieve) and are eaten together with bonito-based dipping sauce, spices, leek and wasabi (Japanese horseradish).
Japanese Liquid Measures: 1 cup = 200ml = 6.76 fl oz 1 tablespoon = 15ml = 0.5 fl oz 1 teaspoon = 5ml = 0.16 fl oz