Tag Archives: japanese food

Cooking

Omurice

I adore it when the Japanese language adopts words from other languages but with that lilting multisyllabic style they have. Like omurice, which is omelette (omuretsu) and rice (raisu) shoved together. It’s a totally fitting of this dish too, which is literally ketchup fried rice wrapped in an omelette and topped with ketchup.

I’ve been busy rotating and retreating to some old dishes that are easy to make in bulk, so since I had fried rice things, I decided to exercise my recently developed experience with eggs.

I worked off the recipe from justonecookbook. People keep on telling me about the really fancy version with the awesome unfurling egg pocket. I can work on that later, I guess.

Omurice

  • Make ketchup fried rice without egg:
    • Cook 2 cups rice with 80% water. Or gather as much leftover rice.
    • Saute a medium onion diced. Add 3 chicken thighs cut small chunks. Season with salt and generous pepper. Cook. Add 1/2 lb frozen veggies (e.g. corn, carrots, peas, beans).
    • Cut in cooked rice. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1.5 tbsp ketchup.
  • Make thin omelettes:
    • beat 1 egg and 1 tbsp milk.
    • Over medium heat, add ~1/2 tsp oil or butter. Pour in egg mixture, and tilt pan to coat. When it sets on the bottom, turn heat to low.
  • Optionally spread some shredded cheese down the center.
  • Heap fried rice down the center, less at the edges.
  • With a spatula, delicately fold over the uncovered side edges. It’s okay if the edges don’t meet or if they rip a little. Scoot omelette to side, then flip upside down onto plate. Garnish with ketchup.
Cooking

Gyudon

This Japanese beef bowl is street fast food (from a place called Yoshinoya?). I use Chinese hot pot meat. I may retake this photo once I get the proper toppings. Recipe from justonecookbook.

 

Gyudon (Japanese beef rice bowl)

  • In small pan, boil 1/2 cup dashi (1/4 tsp hondashi in boiling water), 1 tbsp mirin, (1 tsp sake), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sugar.
  • Add 1/2 small onion thinly sliced in single layer. Simmer covered on medium for 5 minutes.
  • Add 1/2 lb beef ribeye thinly sliced. Cook uncovered until no longer pink and sauce mostly reduced.
  • Serve on bowl of rice topped with scallion sliced and pickled red ginger, togarashi (seven spice). Optionally top with 1 onsen tamago.

Recipe from justonecookbook

Onsen Tamago (hot spring egg)

  • In small pot, boil 4.25 cups (1000 ml) water. Take off heat, add ~3/4 cup (200 ml) cold tap water. (65-68 C)
  • Place in 4 large eggs from refrigerator. Cover and leave for 17 minutes. Take out eggs and set aside for 5 minutes. Garnish with scallions.
  • Or serve in 1/4 cup dashi, 1/2 tbsp mirin, 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 3g katsuobushi
Cooking

Dorayaki

When looking up how to make these, I learned that it’s the food that Doraemon, the squat blue anime cat, is always trying to eat. I used to ask my mom to buy these all of the time. Both recipes from justonecookbook.com (dorayaki, anko).

They’re so prototypically Japanese (fluffy castella plus red bean!) and self-contained portable snacks. I made them as party favors for the doctors who are helping on my research project.

Dorayaki

  • Whisk 4 eggs, 2/3 (140g) cup sugar, ~1.5 tbsp honey until fluffy.
  • Sift in 1.25 (160g) cup AP flour, 1 tsp baking powder. Rest for 15 minutes covered in refrigerator.
  • Stir in 1/4 cup milk. (increased to make less viscous)
  • In lightly oiled non-stick pans on low heat, pour 3 tbsp batter to make 3” pancakes. Flip when it starts to bubble, about 2 minutes. Remove when sides aren’t runny, about 1 minute.
  • Make sandwiches with ~2 tbsp chunky red bean paste (anko), making middle thicker.
  • Batter makes 12-14 pancakes and needs ~16 oz (1 can) of anko. While working, adjust pan so pancake is straight above the fire; periodically wipe spatula with oil; cover done pancakes with damp towel. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-7 days.

Anko

  • Soak 1 cup adzuki beans overnight (8-12 hours).
  • Drain. In big pot, add water to 1-2 inches above beans. Bring to boil, then take off heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes.
  • Drain. Add water to just above beans. Simmer for 1+ hour, periodically skimming and replacing evaporated water. Done when beans burst easily when squeezed.
  • Drain. On medium heat, add 3/4 cup sugar in 3 batches while stirring/mashing. 5 minutes before end, add 1/4 tsp salt. About 20-30 minutes total. Add water to reach desired consistency.
  • Let cool in container.
Cooking

Tonkatsu

A true sign I’m turning into a true American home cook: I’m deep frying!! Except I’m making Japanese pork loin. lol

If I’m making Japanese food, without fail I consult justonecookbook.com. She writes detailed precise recipes, includes invaluable tips, and takes beautiful photos. I think I used smaller panko crumbs so the breading came out flatter, but the color was great and the pork was so tasty.

Tonkatsu

  • 4 pork loin chops, boneless, about 1/2” thick. Cut off extra fat and slit connective tissue, pound to tenderize, season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
  • Dredge in 1/2 cup flour (1/4 cup might be enough), knock off excess flour. Dip in 2 eggs + 1 tbsp oil. Dredge in 1 cup panko, pressing in crumbs.
  • In oil at 350 F (if panko crumb immediately floats), without crowding, fry for 1 minute each side. Rest standing up for 4 minutes, letting excess oil drip off.
  • Fry for 30 seconds each side. Rest for 2 minutes.
  • Cut into strips by cutting straight down, not sawing.
  • Serve with tonkatsu sauce or curry on raw shredded cabbage with rice.

 

Cooking

Japanese baking

Okay, extending this post.

The fluffy cheesecake has been making (jiggly) waves across social media thanks to BuzzFeed Tasty. 

For my first iteration, I took justonecookbook’s recipe and halved it for a 6″ pan. It came out less fluffy and more tart than I expected. My friend then offered me a tried and true recipe to use for next time. Will be updated after next trial.

Japanese Souffle Cheesecake

  • Prepare 6-in cake pan, lined with parchment paper on bottom and at least 4” on sides.
  • Over double boiler, melt 150g (5.3 oz) cream cheese, 2 tbsp butter, 100 ml (.42 cups) heavy cream
  • Whisk in 3 egg yolks slowly.
  • Sift in 4.5 tbsp cake flour (approx. 4 tbsp all-purpose flour, .5 tbsp cornstarch)
  • Zest in half lemon, add 2 tbsp lemon juice.
  • Refrigerate.
  • Whip 3 egg whites, cold, until opaque and bubbly (2 minutes). Slowly add 100g (~1/2 cup) sugar, then beat at high speed until soft peaks form.
  • Fold meringue into batter gently in thirds.
  • In water bath, bake at 320 F for 70-75 minutes, then 300 F for 10 minutes, until top is golden brown.
  • Dust with confectioner’s sugar, serve with strawberries.

 

With the leftover cream and borrowed cake pan and mixer, I couldn’t help whipping up (literally) another Japanese style pastry. They love their fluffy things. Recipe from washoku.guide.

Except it didn’t turn out that fluffy. Boo.

Matcha Sponge Cake

  • Line 6” springform pan with parchment paper.
  • In clean bowl, whip 2 egg whites while gradually adding 80g (~3/8 cup) sugar. Whip meringue to stiff peaks.
  • Mix in 2 egg yolks.
  • Sift in 66g cake flour (~1/2 cup AP flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch) plus 6g (~1 tbsp) matcha. Then fold in.
  • Melt 20g (1.5 tbsp) butter into 33ml (2tbsp + 1 tsp) milk. Slowly stir into batter.
  • Pour batter into mold. Eliminate bubbles, smooth surface.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes at 170 C (340 F)
  • Cool on rack, then refrigerate for a day.
  • Slice horizontally and fill with (matcha) whipped cream. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Matcha Whipped Cream

  • Freeze metal bowl and metal whisk for 10-15 minutes.
  • Add 1/2 cup heavy cream over 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp matcha. Whip to stiff peaks.

 

Castella (Japanese honey cake)

I may import the recipe here to better categorize it.

Cooking

Poke

Poke is basically just a salad with rice and raw fish. Nothing to cook.

Poke (Hawaiian raw fish bowl)

  • Cook sushi rice (1/2 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, for 3 cups rice. Mix when warm).
  • Add dash of sesame oil and soy sauce to sushi-grade tuna or salmon or other fish cut in cubes.
  • Serve on rice with seaweed salad, edamame, shredded daikon, avocado, tobiko (salted fish eggs), furikake, etc.

As a side dish, I cooked my spinach Japanese style, i.e. with soy sauce, sugar, and mirin.

Goma-ae (sesame spinach salad)

  • 1-lb bunch spinach, blanch for 1 minute in lightly salted water, stems down.
  • Cool under running water. Wring out. Cut to about an inch.
  • 1 tbsp Sesame oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, .5 tsp mirin, sprinkle of sesame seeds
    • Or ground 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds instead of sesame oil.
Cooking

A Japanese meal

Despite being Taiwanese, my family is probably more into Japanese food. Time to make some.

 

Oyakodon (chicken and egg on rice)

I like this dish so much that I used to order it at all sorts of Japanese restaurants, even forgoing other delicacies. Last year, my mom taught me her version, which is like a Taiwan/Japan hybrid with lots of egg. This time, I’m aiming for more traditional: steaming in the sukiyaki broth, following justonecookbook.com. (last updated 8/29/17)

170204-5740

    • In a small pan, 1/4 cup dashi (1/8 tsp hondashi in boiling water), 1 tbsp mirin, (1 tsp sake), 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar.
    • Add 1/2 small onion thinly sliced in single layer.
    • Add on top 1-1.5 chicken thighs cut into bites obliquely and seasoned with salt and pepper.
    • Simmer covered on medium for 10 minutes.
    • Drizzle in 1 egg. Stir around to distribute. Garnish with scallions/mitsuba. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until egg is just set.
    • Slide onto bowl of white rice.

 

Chawanmushi (savory egg custard)

My mom makes it with chicken broth instead of dashi. Huh?! Tracking this japancentre.com recipe, with input from here and here.

170204-5742

  • 3 eggs, beat gently
  • 1 cup dashi (1/2 tsp hondashi powder in 1 cup boiling water), 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp sugar, pinch salt.
    • can substitute with about 1 cup (equivalent of 1.5x volume of eggs) warm chicken broth.
  • Mix into egg slowly. strain through fine sieve.
    • Can add shiitake mushrooms, kamaboko fish cake, carrots, marinated strips chicken shrimp. arrange in bowl and pour egg around.
  • steam 5 minutes medium bowl, then open pot to let out steam, then steam 3 more minutes, until clean toothpick.
    • Can garnish with scallions/mitsuba at halfway point of steaming.

 

Miso Soup

Following instructions on the miso packaging, haha

170204-5735

  • miso paste, sugar, dashi (ratio?), water.
  • serve with scallions, tofu, kombu.

I also stir fried lotus root.

 

For the grand finale:

Castella (Japanese Honey Cake)

I followed this recipe from justonecookbook.com/castella to the letter. Paraphrased here.

170204-5730

  • 3 eggs, at room temp. Beat thoroughly.
  • Add 1/2 cup sugar, with electric hand mixer beat at highest speed for 7+ minutes, until quadruples in volume.
  • 2.5 tbsp honey, diluted with ~2 tbsp warm water, mix in for 30 sec at low speed.
  • 3/4 cup bread flour, double sifted. add in thirds, mixing 15 sec at low speed in between, 1 min at end. Don’t overmix.
  • Pour batter into parchment paper-lined 9×5 metal pan. Dredge with toothpick to break large air bubbles. Drop on counter to level.
  • 325 F, 35 minutes, until clean toothpick.
  • Wrap tightly in plastic, refrigerate overnight upside down.
  • Cut off sides, serve in slices.

updated 3/25, fixing a typo.