Nasu Dengaku: Miso Glazed Eggplant | 日式味噌茄子田楽焼

附中文食譜

Eggplants get a bad reputation for being bland, slimy, bitter sometimes and, worst off, they act like sponges that can soak up copious amount of oil. Well, it's time to shatter this myth! I like to see eggplants as a blank canvas ready to take on strong flavors. When cooked to perfection, these gorgeous purple aubergines are just divine - buttery, creamy, with hints of smokiness. And personally, there is no simpler and better way to cook eggplants than this foolproof recipe.

Use either red "awase" or the sweeter white "shiro" miso, or a mix of both

Nasu dengaku (なす田楽) literally translates to miso glazed eggplant, a classic Japanese dish that is usually skewered and grilled over charcoal. The sensational sweet and savory miso glaze livens just about anything, from fish to tofu to daikon radish. Slathered on eggplants, the result is irresistible. It is said that the name dengaku comes from dengaku bōshi (田楽法師), a stilt dancer that performed for the god of rice fields during rice planting. Since skewered tofu resembles the stilted performer, the name dengaku has taken hold since to describe this dish preparation. Forgetting the hassle of operating and cleaning a grill at home, you can easily pan fry the eggplants (with just a teeny bit of oil!) for a few minutes and finish them under a broiler until the miso glaze bubbles and gets that beautiful caramelization.

Watch as the miso glaze bubbles and caramelizes under the broiler... absolutely tantalizing!

An inexpensive, simple dish that makes use of everyday Japanese seasonings

Needless to say, this recipe has entered my repertoire for quick, easy weekday meal ideas. Simply serve with steamed rice, dressed tofu and a light salad for a healthy, plant-based meal or, to jazz things up a bit, serve together with Mentaiko Pasta for a simple, Japanese-inspired lunch!

What you'll need...
2 small eggplants, or 1 Chinese eggplant
Cooking oil
2 tablespoons water
Chopped scallions, for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish

For the miso glaze:
3 tablespoons miso paste
1 tablespoon white, brown, or coconut sugar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon sake

Directions...
1. Prepare the miso glaze by whisking together the ingredients.

2. Slice eggplant in half lengthwise and score the flesh with a knife. In a non-stick pan over medium high heat, add oil (I like to use a pastry brush directly on the eggplants for a more even coating) and cook the eggplants flesh-side down. Once browned, flip the eggplants over and cook until begin to soften. Tip in water and cook covered on high heat till the water cooks off, about one minute.

3. Transfer eggplants to a lined baking tray flesh side up, brush evenly with miso glaze, and place in the oven with the broiler function on. Grill for 8-10 minutes, until the miso glaze caramelizes. Remove from oven, garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, and you're done!
 

【 日式茄子味噌田樂燒 】

茄子，不少人認為它味淡、煮起來軟爬爬、外皮又帶苦澀，最重要它還會像海綿，吸收大量油分，極不健康。不過，由這刻開始，我會把這些負評通通粉碎掉！

茄子，就像一塊空白的畫布，準備着迎接強烈的調味。只要你烹煮得完美，在柔滑軟綿的口感下，會略帶一絲煙熏味，我認為，已沒有比以下的炮製方法更好更簡單方便了。

據說「田樂」這名字來自一位法師。從前在農耕的慶典上，有位穿上白袍披上深色法衣的法師，為歌頌稻田之神而踩上高蹺跳舞。因這身裝束，就像醬烤的豆腐串，於是有人便以法師的名字「田樂」為豆腐串取名。當然，今天的田樂燒已不只是豆腐了，由魚到邏蔔到茄子也有。（文章翻譯：鄒家鳳）

材料
茄子                  2 小隻
味噌                  3 湯匙
砂糖或紅糖     1 湯匙
味醂                  1 湯匙
清酒                  1 湯匙
油                      適量
水                      2 湯匙
蔥花                 適量
芝麻                 適量

做法
1. 把味噌、糖、味醂和清酒拌勻備用。
2. 茄子對邊切開，用小刀𠝹十字面，讓醬汁更輕易入味。
3. 燒熱易潔鍋，下油並以中高火煎香茄子至輕微焦香。
4. 把茄子反轉，繼續煎數分鐘。
5. 加入 2 湯匙水，蓋上鍋蓋煮至水份完全蒸發，約一分鐘。
6. 把茄子放在鋪好烘培紙的烘盤上，塗上味噌醬汁，再放入焗爐以上層發熱線烤焗 8 - 10 分鐘至茄子軟稔、醬汁輕微烤焦。最後，撒上芝麻和蔥花，完成！ 

簡易和風午餐：味噌燒茄子、明太子意大利粉、麻醬冷豆腐和田園沙律！

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Miso Glazed Cod with Fiddlehead Ferns and Miso Sesame Soba

附中文食譜

Sometimes, all you want is a quick and easy dinner, using simple ingredients and steps and ending up with a healthy, complete meal that not only looks expensive but also tastes wonderful. This Japanese-inspired fish recipe fits the bill. With minimum advance preparation, you can practically have your meal ready in under twenty minutes of active cooking time. And half of those "active" twenty minutes is standing idly watching your fish cook inside the oven.

I was grocery shopping in Tokyo recently and picked up some fresh cod (ぎんだら, Gindara), a buttery white fish that is well-suited for this dish for its high fat content and melt-in-the-mouth silkiness. I then came along some precious fiddlehead ferns that seemingly just popped out of the Avatar film. Harvested early in the season, these crunchy, furly fronds are mild in flavor and take well to boiling, sautéing and a pinch of salt and pepper.

As for the miso, white (shiro) miso are most often used as it is milder with a hint of sweetness; however, I have tried red miso with similarly great results.

Any fatty fish works well for this dish. Try salmon or black cod!

Serve the dish alongside multigrain rice, or get impulsive and toss some buckwheat noodles in a creamy, savory dressing of miso and sesame oil to complement the fish.

I have been making this humble dish at home long before I heard about celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, whose renowned signature creation at Nobu has been replicated far and wide. Here is my simplified version of the recipe. いただきます!

What you'll need...
2 cod fillets, about 1/2 lb or 200g each
100g soba noodles (per person)
Fiddlehead ferns (or other greens of choice)
Black and white sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
Sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

For the miso marinade:
1 heaping tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon shoyu
1 teaspoon sugar

For the soba noodles miso sesame dressing:
1/2 tablespoon miso paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Some warm water to thin the mixture

Directions...

For the Miso Glazed Cod: 

1. Prepare the marinade: whisk miso paste, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar together. Adjust proportions to taste.

2. Pat fish dry with paper towel. In a container, coat the fillets with marinade and keep refrigerated for one hour up to overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Place fish skin-side up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, gently brush off excess marinade to prevent burning. Bake or broil for 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Garnish with toasted sesame and scallions.

For the Soba and the Miso Sesame Dressing: 

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, submerge the noodles and cook through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix miso paste and sesame oil and dilute the mixture with some warm water. 

2. When soba is cooked, drain and toss in the dressing while still hot until the strands are well coated.

For the Fiddlehead Ferns:

If boiling: Bring a pot of salted water to boil, boil the greens until barely tender, about 6 minutes. 
Prepare a cold water bath. When the ferns are cooked, dunk the ferns in cold water to stop the cooking.

If sautéing: boil the ferns, drain, and sauté briefly with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy this quick, easy, and tasty meal!

《味噌醬燒鱈魚柳》/《麻香味噌蕎麥麵》

鱈魚柳 2 件 （各約200克） 
蕎麥麵 100 克 （一人份量計）
蕨菜  （菜類可隨喜好）
黑白芝麻  少量
蔥花  少量

鱈魚醃料：
白味噌  1 大湯匙
清酒  1 湯匙
味醂  1 湯匙
日本豉油  1 茶匙
白糖  1 茶匙 

麻香味噌拌麵醬：
味噌  1/2 湯匙
麻油  1 茶匙
溫水 適量，稀釋用

《味噌醬燒鱈魚柳》
1. 先將醃料拌勻。鱈魚柳洗淨抹乾後加入醃料放在雪櫃醃一小時或以上。
2. 預熱焗爐至 200C / 400F。
3. 醃好的魚柳放在鋪了烘培紙的焗盤上。
4. 輕輕拭去多餘的醃料，然後放入已預熱焗爐中，視乎魚柳厚度焗約 8-12 分鐘。
5. 烤好了上碟再撒上芝麻及蔥花即成。

《麻香味噌蕎麥麵》
1. 味噌和麻油拌勻加入少量溫水稀釋。
2. 滾水煮蕎麥麵約 5 分鐘至軟硬適中，瀝水後同醬汁拌勻即成。

《清炒蕨菜》
1. 蕨菜可用加了鹽的沸水浸燙後過凉上碟，或瀝乾後再落油清炒。 

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Kabocha no Nimono | Sake Braised Japanese Pumpkin

We may be no stranger to Japanese cuisine - as diverse as it can be - given its international presence and penetration into pop culture and our day-to-day diet. But when it comes to Japanese home cooking, it is an infinite universe yet to be fully explored and appreciated by food-lovers the world over.

Outside of the usual dining favorites, namely sushi, tonkatsu, ramen, yakitori, shabu-shabu (the list is really rather inexhaustible, to our bellies' delight), my exposure to authentic Japanese home cooking has been admittedly limited. It was that moment during my first ever kaiseki experience at a picturesque hillside hot spring ryokan near Mount Aso, Kyushu, that struck a chord in me.

Food as nourishment, food as an art: my life-changing, virgin experience in kaiseki at Yamaguchi Ryokan and Ryokan Sanga, Kyushu, Japan | Mar 2013

While kaiseki (懐石料理) - the highly ritual multi-course traditional Japanese meal characterized by small portions, subtle flavors, and impeccable, artful presentation - may rightfully be compared to Western haute cuisine, it most certainly is grounded on values that carry through conventional, ordinary home cooking with its emphasis on simplicity and fresh seasonal ingredients.

Frolicking in lush and serene greenscape by the creek, Kurokawa

I've recently been invited to a friend's place for Japanese style home cooked dinner. With many years of working with a Japanese chef, he swiftly prepared a light but satisfying meal featuring primarily vegetables - with the help of relatively few seasonings.

In stark contrast to most Asian cuisines driven by a variety of sauces and condiments, a large number of dishes in Japanese home cooking are created from just five basic seasonings: mirin, sake, sugar, soy sauce, and dashi (だし, a light stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu seaweed). One of the many secrets behind Japanese home cooking is "simplicity" - complement the primary ingredients with a delicate touch of seasoning, rather than dominating them; let the natural flavors sing.

One of the dishes made that night was this irresistable braised kabocha (かぼちゃの煮物). Unlike conventional methods of simmering, the pumpkin is first seared at high temperature then finished in the classic seasonings to enhance flavor and texture. A great case in point, a simple handful of seasoning brings out the sweetness of the pumpkin. Topped with barely seasoned pan-fried chicken mince, this simple dish promises to astound with umami.

To prepare...
1 (~450g) kabocha (alternately use Australian kent pumpkin)
1 cup Japanese sake
1 cup bonito kombu dashi
2 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoon white sugar (or brown sugar for a richer taste)
2 tablespoon Japanese shoyu
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the minced chicken... (optional)
100g ground chicken 
1 tablespoon mirin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Vegetable oil for pan frying

1. Remove seeds and cut pumpkin into 2-inch pieces leaving the skin on. On medium heat, add vegetable oil to skillet and lightly sear the surface of pumpkin chunks, skin-side down first. Stir occasionally to evenly brown the pumpkin, about 4 minutes.

2. Cook pumpkin covered until fork tender on medium heat, 5-8 minutes (cooking time varies depending on type of pumpkin). Add sake, dashi, mirin, shoyu, and sugar and bring to a low boil. Cook until reduced. Plate and set aside.

3. On medium heat, pan fry minced chicken (if using) in a small pan with vegetable oil. Season with mirin and sea salt. Top pumpkin with minced chicken and serve. いただきます！

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Ski, Eat, Drink | Hokkaido

"Power ranging" on the summit of Mt. Isola!!

Long time no see! Since my last entry I have celebrated my birthday and been away skiing in Hokkaido and eating away in Osaka, Japan, effectively putting on a couple of kilos in as short as one week. Skiing for four consecutive days and burning my quads and back muscles seemed to have little effect on counterbalancing the noticeable bump that formed around my midsection. Why, blame it on the scrumptious all-you-can-eats (a.k.a. suicide traps), daily overdose of Japanese alcohol, and the diverse, ever-pleasing seasonal Japanese cuisine. We even stashed miniature bottles of Taketsuru (竹鶴) Pure Malt 17 years in our pockets to refuel on the slopes... seriously. Black Diamond? Piece of cake.

Paying respect to the Founder of Japanese Whiskey and sampling vintage whiskeys at the Nikka Whiskey Distillery, Yoichi (余市), Hokkaido

The epitome of freshness and indulgence: sashimi don and the sweetest, melt-in-your-mouth uni sashimi... this is what bliss is  

(From left) Hokkaido-style curry; guilt-laden premium pork belly morsels heading to the grill; irresistable Hokkaido-style cheesecake that we paired with whiskey

Returning to home, "overweight" and misshaped just like my luggages, I vowed to get back in shape and stay away from any sorts of buffets until further notice and adopt a strict, healthy diet to my best ability when at home. So stay tuned for some exciting, low-carb recipes to come soon!

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Mentaiko Pasta | Cod Roe Pasta

Browsing through Lonely Planet Japan, one line sticks in my head: "...drawing influences from the entire continent, the Japanese have spent millennia taking in and refining the cultural bounties of Asia to produce something distinctly Japanese." Japan's exceptional ability to assimilate, adopt, and ameliorate foreign ideas and creating something uniquely their own while keeping its deep-rooted traditions intact is truly fascinating.

In fact, Japan's geographic scope of cultural influences far extends beyond Asia, as is particularly evident in its well-established culinary arena. From beers to bread and pastry-making, from pasta and pizza to curry, Japan has absorbed influences and mastered techniques from India to Italy and, in turn, successfully created culinary specialties that are as authentic as they are distinctly Japanese. This simple Mentaiko Pasta (明太子パスタ) is a case in point.

Consisting of as few as just a couple of main ingredients and requiring no more than ten minutes to prepare, this popular dish is a classic example of East meets West and a testimony that simplicity rules. Mentaiko, essentially fresh pollack or cod roe that is brined and seasoned (color may range from pink to bright red, and flavor from mild to hot), is the star of this dish, its brininess balanced out by the creaminess of olive/avocado oil and butter, while shisho leaves offer up an interesting herbaceous note that contrasts impeccably with the intense "essence of the sea." Each ingredient practically sings on your tongue as you savor every mouthful!

Simplicity - and fusion - at its best. Now, care for chopsticks... or a fork?

I recently returned home to my penthouse kitchen set to work with mentaiko fresh from the supermarket in Japan. While some home cooks swear by heavy cream and even mayo, I opt for avocado oil (and some butter) for slightly more heart-healthy and - in my opinion - even better results.

To prepare...
400g dried spaghetti
1/2 cup, approx. 80g, mentaiko (I used mild mentaiko)
1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
Black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
Green shiso leaves*
Generous sprinkling of nori strips
Dried chili pepper, finely sliced, for garnish (optional)

*Note: if unavailable, substitute shiso with other aromatics such as Vietnamese mint as in my case, which works wonderfully!

1. Boil pasta al dente according to package directions.

2. Cut each roe sac in half, squeeze and scoop out the roe from each half, discarding the membrane. Add avocado/olive oil and black pepper and gently stir to combine.

3. When the pasta is done, drain thoroughly and add to the bowl with the mentaiko sauce. Add the butter and toss until butter is melted and each strand of pasta gets an even coating of sauce. Serve garnished with nori, shiso, and chili slivers. Bon appetit いただきます!

Adapted from Marc Matsumoto's recipe on No Recipes

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