with green stalks of thin scallions (spring onions)
1 Cut the welsh onions or scallions into 1 1/4-in (3-cm) lengths.
2 Combine the ponzu sauce, sesame oil, and soy sauce to make the dressing.
3 Toss the welsh onions or scallions with the dressing, arrange in a small bowl, and garnish with baby anchovies.
As with all the starters for each season, the individual dishes can be substituted or improvised using leftover dishes or food materials. These starters are titbits that should be beautifully presented to start the conversation before dinner. The presentation is borrowed from the Buddhist monk's dining table in Korea. For the remaining spring starter recipes, see page 71.
Blanched Japanese butterbur
(Fuki no fukume ni)
2 fuki (stalks Japanese butterbur), substitute with celery
3 pinches natural sea salt
2 teaspoons koikuchi shoyu (soy sauce)
2 tablespoons katsuo dashi (bonito stock) (for preparation see page 248)
2 teaspoons mirin
(prepare 1 day in advance)
1 Rub the butterbur with salt until it becomes more pliable.
2 Bring some water to a boil in a saucepan, then add the butterbur and boil, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh in iced water. Peel off the thin outer skin.
3 Combine the butterbur, sea salt, soy sauce, bonito stock, and mirin in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. When it reaches a boil, remove from heat and leave aside to cool. Cut the butterbur into 2-in (5-cm) pieces, then return to the broth and soak for 1 day before serving.
Blanched water dropwort
(Sen no ni oroshi)
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
Few drops Korean virgin sesame oil
5 oz (150 g) seri (water dropwort), substitute with watercress, washed
(prepare 2-3 hours in advance)
1 Bring some salted water to a boil in a saucepan and briefly blanch the dropwort ; then refresh in iced water. Cut across into 1-in (2 1/2-cm) lengths.
2 Combine the stock, light soy sauce, mirin, salt, and sesame oil in a small bowl and add the water dropwort. Marinate 2-3 hours before serving.
Rape Shoots Dressed with Mustard
(Nano Hana No Kamshi Ae)
10 stalks rape shoots (nano hana) substitute with broccoli
1/3 oz (10 g) powdered Japanese mustard (wagarashi ko)
2 teaspoons soy sauce (koikuchi)
2 tablespoons bonito stock
2 teaspoons mirin
1 Wash the rape shoots thoroughly.
2 Boil some water with salt in a saucepan, blanch the rape shoots until tender and refresh in ice water. Cut crosswise into about 4 sections.
3 Combine all the ingredients to make the dressing.
4 Toss the rape shoots with the dressing. Adjust the amount of mustard depending upon how spicy you like it.
Green and lavender tofu squares
Masu dofu
Serves 4
Green tofu
2/3 cup (150 ml) green soymilk (see page 255)
1 teaspoon nigari (bittern), see Note
Lavender tofu
2/3 cup (150 ml) black soymilk (see page 255)
1 teaspoon nigari (bittern), see Note
Condiments
2 2/3 oz (80 g) naga negi (long welsh onion), cut in thin slivers and refreshed in cold water (see page 251), substitute with white part of scallion (spring onion)
1 1/3 oz (40 g) shiso (perilla) leaves, cut in thin slivers and refreshed in cold water (see page 251)
Koikuchi shoyu (soy sauce)
4 masu or square wooden boxes (83 x 83 x 57 mm)
Tofu is undoubtedly one of the most representative dishes of Shunju. Our tofu is made daily—soymilk is curdled with nigari (bittern)—in different ware unique to each of our five restaurants; in this case in masu (traditional square, wooden measuring cups). We had discovered a delicious handmade tofu in Kyoto, but despite the availability of (costly) refrigerated transportation, there was simply no comparison to the taste of freshly made and delivered tofu. The only answer to our dilemma was the usual Shunju spirit of "whatever is unavailable, we make or find ourselves," hence our latest tofu recipe using soy milk extracted from green and black soybeans.
1 Prepare the basic soymilk by following steps 1 through 8 on page 254, substituting green and then black soybeans for the regular soybeans. The soymilk recipe on page 254 yields more than is needed for this dish, so either make more for a large dinner, or make only one color at a time.
2 Pour the soymilk into a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir continuously with a wooden or bamboo spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan as you do it, to prevent the milk from burning.
3 When the soymilk reaches 140°F (60°C), pour it into the bamboo container, add nigari and stir quickly. Remove the spoon once the soymilk starts to coagulate. Chill in the refrigerator.
4 Place the refreshed welsh onion and shiso leaf slivers in a small dish and serve with the soy sauce as a condiment.
Note: Nigari (bittern) is the coagulent used to make tofu. Traditionally, it is made from the residue (magnesium chloride) of the salt-making process but, today, chemical coagulents are usually used. Natural (and artificial) nigari is available from Japanese grocery stores or you can make your own by boiling down 3 quarts (3 liters) of seawater over high heat for about 2 hours
