Otsumami: Japanese small bites & appetizers E-Book

Atsuko Ikeda

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 195

Beschreibung

More than 70 recipes for moreish Japanese small plates and bites, designed to be enjoyed alongside a drink, plus tips on presentation and menu planning. Otsumami is the Japanese term given to snacks and simple dishes, designed to be eaten alongside a drink. ('Tsumamu' means to grab something with your fingers or chopsticks so any foods that can be eaten easily in this way came to be known as 'otsumami'.) They are common at izakaya bars, pubs and at house parties in Japan ― even if you are at home having a snack with your evening drink, you are still enjoying otsumami! There are countless delicious flavour pairings to be enjoyed and included here are small bites and dishes to tempt everyone, from existing devotees of Japanese food to new-comers keen to discover more. Popular ingredients such as dashi, ponzu, miso, soy, teriyaki and more, all make an appearance in a myriad of mouth-watering morsels including dips, pickles and salads, gyoza and tempura, sushi and sashimi, plus beautifully presented meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan plates. Also included is a basic guide to Japanese beverages, and deliciously inventive cocktail recipes.

Leseprobe

OTSUMAMI

Japanese small bites & appetizers

ATSUKO IKEDA

OTSUMAMI

Japanese small bites & appetizers

OVER 70 RECIPES TO ENJOY WITH DRINKS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY YUKI SUGIURA

CONTENTS

WHAT IS OTSUMAMI?

PARTY PLANNING

WHAT TO DRINK WITH FOOD

COCKTAILS

FUROSHIKI

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS

KITCHEN TOOLS

HOW TO COOK RICE

HOW TO MAKE DASHI

SAUCES & DRESSINGS

FLAVOURED MISO

FLAVOURED MAYONNAISE

THE RECIPES

SIMPLE LIGHT BITES

MEAT & POULTRY

FISH & SEAFOOD

VEGETABLES

TOFU & EGGS

INDEX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WHAT IS OTSUMAMI?

The greatest pleasures in life are usually simple things. One of them is meeting with friends for a casual drink and a bite to eat. Whether at the pub, at a street-food market or at home, there is joy to be had in sharing downright delicious food from a selection of small plates, so that everyone can sample a taste of this and a bite of that. This unpretentious way of eating pairs perfectly with a drink.

Japan is famous for its otsumami, which means ‘the nibbles you have while drinking’. Otsumami can come in many forms: hot or cold, raw or cooked, meat, fish or plant-based. All across Japan, you’ll find different mouthwatering varieties of otsumami: whether in Fukuoka, jumping from one yatai (street food stall) to another, or walking through the Dotonbori district of Osaka chasing after the perfect takoyaki octopus ball or okonomiyaki pancake. The myriad of matsuri (festivals) throughout Japan are also celebrated for their street food, while it’s always difficult not to order the whole menu at famous izakayas, the Japanese answer to tapas bars.

Inviting friends into your home for a relaxed gathering with drinks and nibbles always seems more daunting than it should. The difficult part being finding the right menu – you want something a bit different, that looks enticing and with enough variety in the dishes to keep everyone satisfied.

With this collection of recipes, I will help you surprise and impress your guests with some perfect otsumami food. Why not make some Rainbow Dips (see pages 56–57) to add splashes of colour to your table, or prepare some Blow-torched Salmon Belly Nigiri (see page 101) for your cocktail party? For a quick and easy fix, you could also make some Kimchi & Blue Cheese Gyoza Pizzas (see page 53). These are just a few examples of the scrumptious small plates and bite-sized delights on offer in this book. Infused with Japanese flavours, these dishes are all delicious, perfect for sharing, easy to make and beautifully presented.

Chapters are divided into Simple Light Bites, Meat & Poultry, Fish & Seafood, Vegetables and Tofu & Eggs to make it easier for you to navigate and choose your dishes. I’ve also added a section on party planning (see page 8), covering everything from designing your menu to kitchen and cooking prep. There is information about Furoshiki, the art of cloth wrapping (if you want to go the extra mile for an authentic Japanese experience), a basic guide to Japanese beverages and how to serve them, plus some deliciously inventive cocktail recipes to spice up your evening. With these tips, you’ll soon become a pro at hosting and cooking for stress-free, delicious otsumami parties!

I hope this book will open your eyes to new possibilities in the joyful art of cooking and hosting, and that it can become a trusted companion which you go back to again and again . . .

PARTY PLANNING

A little advance planning will make your dinner party much easier to organize and eventually enjoy with your guests. To help you achieve this, here is a set of guidelines to consider before you get started.

A BALANCED MENU WITH A STAR DISH

Lay your menu foundation by first choosing your star dish or main course. To narrow down your options, take into consideration factors such as the fresh and seasonal produce available at the time, the weather or time of year, your guests’ preferences and any food restrictions they might have.

Once you have chosen your star dish, you can start building the rest of your menu to support it. Japanese cuisine is all about balance and it follows what we call ‘the rule of 5’. A meal should include:

5 DIFFERENT COLOURS (red, green, yellow, white and black/brown) for nutritional balance. Vegetables offer a wide variety of colours to choose from and sometimes only a touch of contrasting colour, such as from sesame seeds or spices, does the trick.

5 DIFFERENT TASTES (sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami) to feel fully satisfied.

5 DIFFERENT COOKING METHODS (simmer, steam, fry, grill/broil and raw) for a variety of textures.

These rules might sound tedious to start with, but it’s actually surprisingly easy to incorporate all these elements with a little planning! Contrasting and complementing are the key principles and will help you achieve a truly harmonious and delicious meal.

PLAN YOUR MENU

THINK SEASONAL

Seasonality or the use of fresh, seasonal ingredients, is at the core of Japanese cuisine and food culture. We even have a specific word, ‘shun’, which describes the exact moment when a vegetable is at its best, a fruit at its sweetest or a fish at its most flavourful.

In SPRINGTIME in Japan, we’ll eat plenty of vegetables like cauliflower, watercress and lots of delicious seafood like Sake Steamed Clams (see page 118). It’s also the time of year when we celebrate hanami or the tradition of cherry blossom viewing. It’s all about meeting with friends under sakura trees, eating bentos and having a few drinks!

SUMMER DAYS in Japan are hot and humid so we gorge on thirst-quenching vegetables like cucumber, edamame or tomatoes. Cold or chilled dishes like cold noodle soup are popular for helping people beat the heat. It’s also the time for matsuri festivals where yatai stalls serve their seasonal specialities like Takoyaki (see page 115) to festival-goers.

AUTUMN is the season of hearty appetites, just like the saying shokuyoku no aki says! It is really a feast of riches coming from the land with mushrooms and aubergine/eggplant, but also from the sea with mackerel and salmon, and from the sky with duck.

WINTERS are cold so we rely on hardy vegetables like potatoes and cabbages to keep us satisfied, as well as crabs to keep us nourished. Onions and garlic help to heat our bodies. Not to mention oysters, which are in season throughout the winter.

SEASONAL MEAL IDEAS

Eating seasonally makes a lot of sense: produce is at its freshest, cheapest and most nutritious when it arrives at the table… and your cooking can make a celebration of it! Of course, what is available seasonally will differ slightly depending on where in the world you live, so choose ingredients and dishes according to your location. You can also think about what will satisfy your guests needs according to each season.

SPRING

Your guests might be craving light, colourful food with fresh and zesty flavours. Chicken, seafood and vegetable-based dishes all fit the brief perfectly.

Cigarette Spring Rolls (see page 141)

Summer Rolls with Edible Flowers (see page 145)

Temari Sushi (see page 98)

Fried Chicken (see page 66)

Sake Steamed Clams (see page 118)

SUMMER

Thirst-quenching cold dishes will go down a storm, as well as grilled recipes with charred, smoky flavours.

Miso & Chive Butter Corn (see page 130)

Grilled Scallops (see page 112)

Takoyaki (see page 115)

Edamame Peperoncino (see page 130)

Yakitori Grilled Chicken (see page 73)

Tomato, Basil & Ponzu Salad (see page 133)

Smacked Cucumber (see page 133)

Cold Miso Soup with Smoked Mackerel (see page 124)

AUTUMN

A time for comfort food with plenty of umami and rich, earthy flavours. Recipes with mushrooms, as well as meat and fish with stronger flavours will be just perfect.

Aubergine/Eggplant with Sesame Soy Sauce (see page 134)

Mushroom & Miso Gratin (see page 148)

Marinated Fried Mackerel (See page 119)

Salmon Aburi Sushi (see page 101)

Duck Breast Nigiri (see page 81)

WINTER

You want to offer your guests nourishing plates of warm, delicious food at this time of year. Hot pots, dumplings and rice dishes are all ideal choices.

Oysters with Daikon Sauce (see page 108)

Squid Dumplings (see page 111)

Grilled Sea bass (see page 123)

Kimchi & Tofu Hot Pot (see page 165)

Crab Meat Rice (see page 127)

PREP, PREP, PREP!

MAKE IN ADVANCE

Prep work is everything that can be done in advance before the final cooking and serving of the meal, essential if you (or your kitchen!) don’t want to be overwhelmed on the day of your party. A lot of dishes can’t be prepared completely ahead of time, but you can usually follow the recipe up to a certain point.

2 days ahead of the party: sauces, pickles, cured fish or marinades can be made and stored appropriately.

1 day ahead of the party: dips or meat marinades can be made and kept in the fridge.

On the day of the party: things like vegetable chopping and meat and fish seasoning can be done in the hours leading up to the party.

MISE EN PLACE

La mise, as they say in kitchens, is the French culinary term for ‘putting everything in place’. It’s about organizing and arranging all the ingredients in your kitchen. Think of each dish you are making and group all the ingredients needed for it together in one place. Do this for all the dishes on your menu if you can. This way you’re less likely to forget an ingredient (essential or presentational) at the end.

PREP YOUR KITCHEN

Organize your kitchen in such a way that all the utensils or equipment needed to cook your dishes at the time of your party, are in place and ready to be used. This means putting the right pots and pans on the stove, lining your oven racks with baking parchment or foil, having your serving dishes and cutlery within easy reach, etc.

SAMPLE MEAL PLAN

It can be helpful to write down the various meal components when planning a party. This way you can check you have a good balance of different foods – picking something from each chapter in this book is a good way to get started. Crucially, you can also see at a glance what needs to be prepared and when.

WHAT TO DRINK WITH FOOD

You may be wondering what beverages you can offer your guests that will perfectly offset the flavours of otsumami. Whether you go for beer, sake, shochu, whisky, a cocktail or something fruity with less alcohol, there is an option for every taste.

JAPANESE BEER

When arriving at an izakaya, the first thing we usually say when ordering is ‘toriaezu biiru’ or ‘I’ll start with beer!’. Beer is not a traditional beverage, but we love it so much that it accounts for two-thirds of the alcoholic consumption of the country! It complements traditional Japanese food well and we have a wide variety of pilsner-style lagers. The top three brands Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin are widely sold now in big supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.

HOW TO DRINK

For Japanese people, a beer should have a nice foamy head. Firstly, it looks more enticing and secondly, it tastes better! The foam prevents the beer from losing the flavour when oxygen reaches it, so try a foam to liquid ratio of 3:7 and see what you think!

Serving it in a chilled, frosty glass is also paramount. Japan has really hot temperatures and high humidity in summer, so a chilled beer in a frosty glass really hits the spot! For this, put your glass in the freezer for 30-60 minutes before pouring your drink or, if you have less time, fill your glass with cold water and ice cubes and put it in the freezer for 5–8 minutes.

NIHONSHU (SAKE)

What we call sake in Japan actually refers to any alcoholic spirit like whisky or shochu, etc. While ‘nihonshu’ refers to the traditional beverage you might know as ‘sake’, which is made from rice, water, koji and sometimes added brewer’s alcohol. (FYI, the latter is not to make you drunk quicker, but to improve the flavours and to make it lighter!) Nihonshu has around 15–17% ABV, which makes it a little stronger than wine. Just like wine, choosing the right bottle for your taste can be a minefield if you don’t know much about it. Very simply put, it’s the rice polishing ratio (the lower it is, the more superior) and the type of brewing method that determine the qualities in nihonshu.

So, here are the six styles you should be aware of when choosing your tipple:

JUNMAI – the name means ‘pure rice’ and this variety has no added brewer’s alcohol. It is typically fragrant with a rich, mellow flavour

HONJOZO – this is light, mildly fragrant and easy to drink

JUNNAI GINJO/GINJO – a premium sake with both fragrant and fresh notes

JUNMAI DAIGINJO/DAIGINJO – the most premium class of sake, this has a fragrant bouquet and an elegant, pure taste

HOW TO DRINK

Very broadly speaking, junmai daiginjo/daiginjo and junmai ginjo/ginjo, with their floral and fruity notes, are usually enjoyed chilled, while junmai and honjozo, with their broader range of versatility, can be served at a wider range of temperatures, from chilled to warm or room temperature.

Don’t over-chill or overheat sake, though, or it will spoil the delicate flavour. The best way to warm it up is in a water bath to around 50°C (122°F); simply submerge your carafe or bottle in a saucepan of hot (not boiling!) water. If serving chilled, you’ll want to cool it down to around 10C–15°C (50–60°F); to do this quickly, place the bottle in a bucket of ice for 30 minutes. Or if you have more time, keep the bottle in a fridge overnight and take it out to rest at room temperature 10–20 minutes before serving. Serving at this gently chilled temperature will draw out the delicate flavours and fine fragrances in refined sake.

If you are worried about having the right glassware to serve, no need to fret! For chilled or room temperature nihonshu, a wine glass (preferably for white wine) is just perfect. However, if you are serving it warm, avoid glass or metal vessels and choose a porcelain or ceramic cup instead.

SHOCHU

Shochu, not to be confused with its similar Korean counterpart, soju, is a traditional distilled alcohol that has been produced and consumed for over 500 years in Japan. It can be made with various ingredients, but the most common are sweet potato (imo), rice (kome) and barley (mugi). Because of this, its taste and aromas can vary greatly. You’ll be surprised by its low ABV of 20–25% compared to other distilled alcohols. I’m not suggesting you should drink more of it though (!) although in Japan, we say shochu causes fewer hangovers than other alcohols. One explanation would be its low amount of acetaldehyde, but still, better not to drink the whole bottle!

HOW TO DRINK

NEAT – serve it at room temperature to really appreciate its taste

ON THE ROCKS – as the ice melts, the unique sweet smell of shochu really develops

CUT WITH WATER – either hot, oyuwari-style, for cold winter days (always pour the hot water first!) or cold, mizuwari-style, for a hot summer’s day. The amount of water is up to you, but the general rule of thumb is a ratio of 6:4 shochu to water.

CUT WITH SODA WATER – known as sodawari-style, with a shochu to water ratio of 4:6. This is particularly refreshing, especially on a hot summer’s day, and why not add a twist of lemon zest to it too?

JAPANESE WHISKY

For me, I used to think of whisky as something that dads drink, but when I tried Japanese whisky it completely changed my perspective. It has smooth, elegant and floral notes. Scottish whisky lovers must have been in shock when the Japanese single malt was named the best whisky in the world! But in fact, Japanese whiskies are deeply rooted in Scottish whisky traditions. The most famous brands are Nikka, Yamazaki and Hibiki.

HOW TO DRINK

Japanese whiskies are enjoyed like malt whiskies and in the same ways as shochu. My favourite way to drink Japanese whisky is in an old fashioned cocktail with sugar, bitters, water and orange zest. Whisky highballs are also a hugely popular accompaniment for otsumami dishes in Japan.

UMESHU/YUZUSHU

If you are not keen on drinks with a high alcohol content, then this option is perfect for you. These low-alcohol liqueurs (between 8–15%) are fresh, fruity, sweet and definitely mouth-watering! The most popular one is umeshu, which is made by steeping ume (Japanese plum) in liquor and sugar. The citrusy liqueur is called yuzushu, which is made with yuzu juice and zest, liquor and sugar.

HOW TO DRINK

You can either drink them neat in a chilled glass or on the rocks. The refreshing, tart taste makes these suitable for drinking as aperitifs before a meal.

COCKTAILS

There’s a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ about a cocktail… it feels slightly decadent and is delicious in its own right. Having one or two signature recipes up your sleeve is just what you need to ensure that your evening gets off to a flying start!

RASPBERRY MINT SHOCHU SLUSHY

100 g/3½ oz. frozen raspberries

100 ml/⅓ cup barley shochu

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tbsp agave syrup

pinch of fresh mint leaves

200 g/7 oz. crushed ice

MAKES 2

Blitz all the ingredients, apart from ice cubes, in a blender or in a jug/pitcher using a hand-held stick blender to make a smoothie.

Strain the smoothie through a tea strainer or fine-mesh sieve/strainer and discard the raspberry seeds.

Pour the smoothie back into the jug/pitcher, then add the crushed ice and blitz again to make a ‘slushy’ texture. Serve in margarita glasses or coupes.

YUZU MARGARITA

60 ml/¼ cup shochu of your choice (ideally barley or rice)

60 ml/¼ cup yuzushu (yuzu liqueur)

2 tbsp Cointreau

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

pinch of salt

200 g/7 oz. ice cubes

1 tsp Campari

MAKES 2

Put all the ingredients, except the Campari, in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain the cocktail into two margarita glasses. Drop ½ tsp of Campari into each glass and let it sink to the bottom. Serve.

WHISKY GINGER

60 ml/¼ cup Japanese whisky

100 g/3½ oz. ice cubes

peel from 1 orange

120 ml/½ cup ginger beer

MAKES 1

Add the whiskey and ice cubes to a glass tumbler. Use heatproof tongs to hold the orange peel, then set it on fire and carefully drop it into the whisky.

Top up the drink with the ginger beer, then stir to combine and serve.

MATCHA SAKE

100 g/3½ oz. crushed ice

60 ml/¼ cup sake

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp maple syrup

¼ tsp matcha powder

100 g/3½ oz. ice cubes

120 ml/½ cup sparkling water

MAKES 1

Put the crushed ice in a glass tumbler. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well.

Strain the matcha sake through a tea strainer or fine metal sieve/ strainer into the tumbler over the ice and serve.

From left to right starting on the previous page: Whisky Ginger, Matcha Sake, Raspberry Mint Shochu Slushy, Yuzu Margarita

FUROSHIKI

You most certainly know of origami, the traditional Japanese art of folding paper, but have you heard of furoshiki, the art of cloth wrapping? This simple but very useful skill will add a touch of Japanese authenticity to any occasion.

Equal parts beauty and function, furoshiki has been used in Japan for over 1000 years. The term actually refers to the square-shaped cloth used by people in the Nara period (710–794 AD) to wrap up their clothes to go to the public baths, hence its name furo ‘bath’, shiki ‘spread’.

This astute way of carrying things quickly became popular for carrying other goods, like gifts and bottles, and remains so today. If you like watching anime, you’ll notice Japanese school children and even adults on the way to work using furoshiki to carry their bento boxes! I also use it on a daily basis, whether for carrying my cooking tools to a class or wrapping up clothes before putting them in a suitcase. I love the practicality of it, and it looks so stylish too! Any fabric works and you can create furoshiki in all sorts of shapes and sizes depending on what is inside. Just like origami, the possibilities are endless!

Dubbed the first eco-bag, furoshiki is more relevant than ever in our environmentally conscious society. It is recyclable, multi-purpose and it exemplifies the Japanese philosophy of mottainai, or no-waste. So, time to get crafty and unearth your scrap fabrics and patterned cloths!

In the following steps, I will teach you how to use furoshiki to wrap bottles and bento boxes. It is such an elegant (and discreet!) way to carry them. It is perfect for bringing wine or food to a mochiyori (BYO) party, or for gifting items to your dinner party guests in a very personal and sustainable way.

You will need a 90 x 90-cm/35 x 35-inch cloth for wrapping two standard wine bottles of the same size, or square or rectangular bento boxes.

HOW TO WRAP TWO BOTTLES

Place the furoshiki on a flat surface in front of you in a diamond shape with the inside of the cloth facing up.

Stand two bottles on the cloth next to each other and touching, slightly closer to the bottom corner. Carefully lay them down horizontally, with the corks/screw tops pointing outwards, leaving the natural gap between the base of the two bottles.

Tuck the bottom corner of the cloth over the bottles, then start rolling the bottles up in the cloth from the front to the back.

After rolling, bring both ends of the cloth into the centre, by standing the bottles up.

Tie both ends of the cloth together tightly. You can hold the part where it is tied as a handle.

HOW TO WRAP BENTO BOXES

Place the furoshiki on a flat surface in front of you in a diamond shape with the inside of the cloth facing up.

Place the bento box in the middle of the cloth.

Fold the bottom corner of the cloth over and tuck it under the box.

Fold the opposite side of the cloth over the top to cover the box.

Fold both ends of the cloth together into the centre and tie them together tightly. You can hold the part where it is tied as a handle.

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS

Some of these ingredients, like panko breadcrumbs, tofu and miso, are usually readily available, even in smaller shops now. You may not come across some of the others every day, but they can be easily sourced in bigger supermarkets or Asian grocery stores. These ingredients are pictured from the top shelf left to right, then bottom shelf left to right on page 25.