and serve with soy sauce in a separate dish.
Bamboo shoots braised with seaweed
Takenoko no wakame ni
Serves 4
12-in (30-cm) takenoko (fresh bamboo shoots, for preparation see page 253), substitute with vacuum-packed boiled whole bamboo shoot
3 cups (750 ml) katsuo dashi (bonito stock) (for preparation see page 248)
1/3 cup (90 ml) sake
1/3 cup (90 ml) mirin
1/3 cup (90 ml) usukuchi shoyu (light soy sauce)
2 teaspoons natural sea salt
10 oz (300 g) fresh wakame seaweed, substitute with dried wakame (reconstituted in cold water for several minutes) or salt preserved wakame (soaked in cold water for 1 hour)
This recipe is the most traditional and the most popular way to enjoy the spring delicacy, bamboo shoot. Although there is no real substitute for the delicate aroma and crunchy texture of fresh bamboo shoots, you may use vacuum-packed boiled whole bamboo shoots, sold in Japanese grocery stores, if the fresh variety is hard to come by.
1 Slice the top half of the bamboo shoot lengthwise into 6 wedges. Slice the tougher bottom half across in 3/4-in (2-cm) slices or, if the shoot is very thick, slice the round slices across in half to form semicircles.
2 Place the round (or semicircular) slices, bonito stock, and seasonings in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the bamboo shoot is slightly colored. Add the bamboo shoot wedges and simmer for another 1 hour.
3 Blanch the wakame briefly, drain, and place in the center of a serving bowl. Arrange the bamboo shoots on top and pour on some of the cooking liquid. Serve immediately.
Spring mountain vegetable tempura
Sansai no tempura
Serves 4
8 taranome (angelica tree shoots), about 3 oz (80 g)
8 urui (hosta shoots), about 1 oz (30 g)
8 nobiru (red garlic), about 1 oz (30 g)
8 fukinoto (unopened buds of Japanese butterbur), about 2 oz (65 g)
8 young green tea leaves
8 kogomi (fiddleheads), about 1 1/2 oz (50 g)
8 koshiabura (unopened buds of the L. acanthopanax sciadophylloides tree), about 1 oz (30 g)
4 cups (1 liter) vegetable oil
1 cup (100 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, for dusting
Natural sea salt to taste
Batter
1 egg yolk
2 cups (500 ml) iced water
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, sifted and chilled
Like bamboo shoots, sansai or mountain vegetables are a spring favorite, although some sansai are eaten in the fall. Many varieties of sansai are now cultivated but their flavor cannot compare to that of the wild varieties plucked from the mountain side, which have a distinct bitter taste (time is of essence though as these fresh vegetables become increasingly bitter as they oxidize). Although it is difficult to find sansai outside of Japan and Korea, you may substitute other bitter greens and vegetables such as dandelion, mustard, endives, scallion, and so forth. As tempura is time-consuming to fry, and tastes best when freshly deep-fried, many Japanese families make tempura at the dining table over a halogen tabletop range, or a portable gas stove.
1 Remove any browned or discolored sections from the vegetables.
2 To prepare the batter, beat the egg yolk thoroughly with the iced water. Add the chilled flour. Stir briefly with thick chopsticks, but do not mix to a smooth batter, as tempura batter should always contain lumps of flour. Place the bowl with the batter over a larger bowl filled with iced water to keep the batter cold.
3 Pour the vegetable oil into a saucepan until it reaches 6 in (15 cm) in depth and heat to 325°F (160°C). Spread flour for dusting in a baking pan or a flat, shallow container. Lightly dust each vegetable with a coating of flour.
4 Carefully dip in the batter and deep-fry. Turn the vegetables occasionally so that they are evenly fried. Once lightly browned and they float quickly to the surface when pushed down with chopsticks, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon. Gently shake above the pan to remove any excess oil and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with some natural sea salt.
Spring starters
Haru no otoshi
Braised sea bream roe
(Tai ko no fukume ni)
1-in (2 1/2-cm) ginger, peeled
1/2 cup (120 ml) katsuo dashi (bonito stock) (for preparation see page 248)
2 teaspoons usukuchi shoyu (light soy sauce)
2 teaspoons mirin
Pinch natural sea salt
3 oz (80 g) tal ko (sea bream roe)
(prepare 1 day in advance)
1 Thinly slice the ginger, then cut these slices into needle thin slivers.
2 Combine the ginger, stock, light soy sauce, mirin, and salt in a low dish.
3 Cut the sea bream roe across into 4 or 5 pieces and blanch in boiling water; they will "bloom " and become fluffy. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon and place in the combined broth. Leave to marinate for 1 day before serving.
Welsh onion salad
(Jako negi salada)
4 teaspoons ponzu sauce (see page 57)
4 teaspoons Korean virgin sesame oil
4 teaspoons koikuchi shoyu (soy sauce)
1/3 oz (10 g) jako (baby air-cured anchovies)
20 stalks fugu negi (welsh or ciboule onion), substitute
