Tuna sashimi with natto マグロ納豆

We got a 2 lb of block of fresh tuna, sashimi grade, from Catalina Offshore Products (2 lb is the minimum you can order for sashimi-grade fresh tuna). It has ootoro 大トロ, chutoro 中トロ, and a portion called 'chiai" 血合い. You have to first remove the skin and chiai, and then, block out these portions to rectangular blocks called 'saku" 冊 from which sashimi pieces can be cut. In other words, you have to know how to separate these portions to prepare the tuna block from Catalina. After I make the sashimi blocks, I wrap it using kitchen parchment paper, then using a paper towel. I put them in a Ziploc bag and put them back in the Styrofoam container in which the tuna came, add more ice gel packages, which I keep in the freezer, on the top. I put the entire Styrofoam box in our spare refrigerator. This appears to be the best way to keep these sashimi and the ice gels will not totally melt for 5 days or more. I can safely keep them up to 3 days. You could get frozen toro instead, which is easier to prepare since only toro is included, although you have to thaw it. We also tried the frozen toro and the quality is very good.

Chiai is at the edge of chutoro and looks very dark red. If you taste it as sashimi, it has an unpleasant bitter taste. Rather than throwing away this portion, it can be made it to a dish you can enjoy. I decided to make, maguro-natto using natto 納豆; one of the dreaded among Japanese food items.

I cut the chiai portion into small (1/2 to 1/3 inch) cubes and marinated in soy sauce, sake, and mirin mixture (2:1:1). You could add grated ginger (which I did not). I got enough chiai from the 2 lb block for two servings (probably about 100 grams or a bit less than 1/4 lb). I marinate over night in the refrigerator.

Next day just before serving, I prepare a small package (individual serving) of natto as I described before with a sauce and mustard included in the package and using my special mixing apparatus. Add thinly sliced scallion (1/3 to 1/2 scallion) and keep mixing (the longer you mix, the less the odor).

I place the cubes of marinated (excess liquid drained and pat dry) chiai in the bottom of a small bowl, top them with natto and garnish with thin strips of nori. It is rather strong flavored but it is good. This is not a high class food but it is perfect for Izakaya. You have to have this with sake.  Again, even my wife enjoyed this dish. Of course you could make this dish using a regular akami 赤身 (red) tuna or, for that matter, any parts of tuna. I would not marinate or marinate for a shorter time if you use better quality portions of tuna.

Mini Udon Hotpot ミニ鍋焼きうどん

This is another one of those dishes with which you conclude your Izakaya feast. Last time we were in Kappabashi district in Asakusa 浅草合羽橋, we found this mini-donabe ミニ土鍋, measuring a bit less than 5 inches in the outside diameter, in one of numerous restaurant supply shops which line the streets there. Since we are not big eaters, this is a perfect size for us to have a very small individual nabe dish. Tonight, I made a tiny "nabeyaki udon" ミニ鍋焼きうどん. 

Udon noodle is a thick (as compared to soba), white Japanese noodle made of wheat flour, which can be made at home (I have not tried it), bought frozen or dried. I almost exclusively use dried udon noodles just because it will keep a longtime in the pantry and is convenient. You can get quite a number of different kinds of dried udons from thin to thick. You could use udon like soba (especially thin ones). If you serve it in a warm soy sauce flavored broth, it is called "kake udon" かけうどん and by adding different toppings, it changes its name (this is exactly same for soba). For example, if you add a whole (raw) egg, it is called "Tsukimi Udon" 月見うどん or moon gazing udon (equating an egg yolk for a full moon). You could eat udon with a dipping sauce, called "Tsukeudon" 付けうどん, which is a rather recent invention. One dish in which you almost exclusively use udon noodle but not other noodles is this dish "nabeyaki udon" or udon hotpot. If you make it in a standard individual sized pot (see picture below), it is a classic whole-meal-in-a-pot dish.

I had already cooked udon (I prepare it as per the package instruction, it will keep several days in the refrigerator. This was leftover from making a tarako pasta dish). I place enough to fit in this small donabe pot (probably 1/4 of one standard serving). I use a bottle concentrated noodle sauce diluted in hot water to taste (use hot water to dilute as per instructions on the bottle label but make sure you taste it and adjust the strength). Of course, you could make this from scratch using dashi, mirin, sake, sugar, and soy sauce. I poured the diluted sauce to just cover the noodles. I added fresh shiitake mushroom (use small ones), two shrimp (I used frozen ones), greens (spinach is traditional but you can used anything such as snow peas, green beans, even green asparagus etc.  I used baby arugula here. You could pre-cook them before putting in or, like I did, just put it in over the top of the noodles and put on the lid. After it wilts and decreases in volume, you can rearrange the greens) and scallion sliced on an angle. Put on the lid and simmer for 10 minutes on a very low flame (be careful, it will boil over very easily). I finish the dish by adding half a beaten egg, put the lid back and let it stand for 5 minutes until the egg sets. 

Serve it with Japanese seven flavored red pepper powder or "shichimi togarashi 七味唐辛子 (red cylinder in the picture above). The sake cup is hand cut crystal by Kitaichi glass in Otaru, Hokkaido 北一ガラス、小樽、北海道. When you pour sake into this cup, the cherry blossoms etched on the bottom "float". Since Cheery trees have been in blossom in Washington DC, this is perfect.

Comparison of a standard one-person donabe on the left (about 7-8 inches in diameter) and our mini-donabe on the right.

Amaebi head miso soup 甘エビのみそ汁

Heads of amaebi are most commonly deep fried but another popular way to serve them is to make a miso soup. Some Japanese restaurants may ask you how you want to have amaebi heads cooked after you consume amaebi sashimi or sushi (with heads as decoration). Since our shipment of amaebi from Catalina Offshore Products included rather large shrimp with roe, I decided to make their heads and roe into a miso soup.

First, I removed the heads and roe and used the tail meat as sashimi, which was excellent. I trimmed the antennae and placed shells and heads in a 400F oven for about 10 minutes. This is a similar process to making broth from any crustacean carcasses. Before you put the carcasses in water, they should either be sauteed or baked which reduces any fishy flavor they may impart which would occur if the raw carcasses were placed directly in water to make broth. 

For two generous  servings, I put about 500 ml (or 2 cups) of water in a pot and place the baked amaebi carcasses and heads (4 large). When it comes to a boil, skim off any scum that may form on the surface and reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. You could remove the heads and strain the broth but I just removed the shells and solids but did not strain. I added the roe and small cubes of tofu (optional). I dissolved the miso (I used red miso about 1.5 - 2 tbs) using a misokoshi みそこし or a small strainer and spoon. You must taste and adjust the amount of miso. Since, the broth is very flavorful you may not need as much miso as usual. When it comes back to boil, I add thinly sliced (on an angle) scallion for garnish and turn off heat. To eat, you have to use your fingers. Pick up the head and suck on the end to extract all the goodies including the liver. Or, like my wife who did a better job than I, you could also dismantle and extract all the small flavorful bits. Although we felt bad about eating the roe (these could have become millions of shrimp), they were also wonderful.

Sweet shrimp sashimi and deep fried shrimp head 甘エビの刺身と頭の唐揚げ

I am not sure exactly which species of shrimp is called "amaebi" 甘エビ or sweet shrimp. As opposed to the regular shrimp you eat at sushi bars as sushi, served butterflied and boiled, "amaebi" is served raw. As a result, any kind of shrimp which is served raw appears to be called "amaebi". In the northernmost island of Japan, Hokkaido 北海道 where I am from, our "amaebi" was much larger than those in the rest of Japan.  I am not sure if they are a different species or just larger versions of the same species. I initially thought that most of what is called "amaebi" in Hokkaido could be a type of "botanebi" ぼたんえび．
But I found the picture on the left in a Japanese mail order place describing shrimp from Hokkaido and the caption read "...on the left are amaebi and on the right are botanebi..." and, further states "...many people mistake their amaebi as botanebi, since our amaebi are so big..." So, it appears that they are different when amaebi is more narrowly defined. I remember eating amaebi sushi in Tokyo for the first time (when I was in college). They put 2 or 3 amaebi shrimp to make one sushi. I was amazed since I was used to have one shrimp on one sushi; shrimp was more than big enough for one sushi in Hokkaido. In the U.S., there are at least two kinds of shrimp which are being distributed as "amaebi". We used to get "amaebi" from Alaska, twice a year. In spring, we got larger ones with spots on the side which must have been "spot prawns" (similar to "bontan-ebi") and, in fall, we got much smaller shrimp, which may have been "pink shrimp" (similar to "ama-ebi" in the narrow definition described above). We stopped getting these from this particular vendor in Alaska, though. The amaebi came in a plastic container already head removed. Sometimes they were good but many times they were just barely fresh enough to be eaten raw. Now, through Catalina offshore products, we, for the first time, got their "amaebi" or "spot prawns".  Again, I am not sure if this is similar to what is called "botanebi" in Japan but they must be very simialr. Certainly, the size appeared very similar as well as the spots on the both sides of the body. They also look similar to what we used to get form Alaska in spring. According to Catalina, their spot prawns are caught in the water off San Diego and was kept alive in a tank until just before shipping, although they do not guarantee the shrimp to be alive upon receipt. They are large and quite fresh (they were not alive when we received them). So, we enjoyed them as a small sashimi and the head was deep fried. I trimmed the antennae and legs with a pair of kitchen scissors and dryed the head with a paper towel (it can splatter badly when deep fried). I deep fried them as is (without any flour or batter) in a medium hot (about 350F) oil for 5-7 minutes. I salted them lightly while they were hot.

This is excellent. The meat is fresh tasting and nicely sweet. The deep flied heads are a bit too large but crispy. Although you have to be careful how to chew this to avoid mouth injury, it was mighty good. With the delicate flavor of the shrimp, you have to have a cold sake.

Cucumber with moromi miso もろきゅう

This is a teiban 定番 or regular dish in Izakaya. It is very simple dish and this is not a recipe per se; essentially serving cucumber and a special type of miso called moromi miso もろみ味噌 together. It is called "moromi miso kyuri" もろみ味噌きゅうり but it is, almost always, shortened as "morokyu" もろきゅう. The quality of the cucumber is most important. Fresh and firm Japanese cucumber is the best but it is not always easy to get that kind of cucumber in the U.S. It is also interesting to see how Izakayas in different regions serve this dish. For example, last time we were in Japan, we had this in three different Izakayas; one in Kanazawa and two in Kyoto. In Kanazawa, they just served it cut in a long sticks but it was nicely chilled and very crispy. In Kyoto both Izakayas added decorative cuts like I did here as though they feel that an extra touch is need to charge whatever they charge for this dish. I would like to mention another encounter we had in Torihachi とり八 in Kyoto. After we ordered and ate morokyu, a couple (obviously just coworkers or acquaintances) sitting next to us at the counter decided to order one. After receiving the morokyu, the man pontificated on how the decorative cuts could be done (which is far from how this is actually done) and appeared not really interested in eating the dish. We had a chuckle overhearing this. 

Especially since I used American mini-cucumbers (my excuse), I did not do a great job of this decorative cut which supposedly mimicking a pine tree. This decorative cut was shown for the first time to us by one of the sushi chefs at Mikado in Tenleytown area of DC, a Japanese restaurant we used to frequent, which has been closed for over 10 years after their losing the lease and the owner decided to retire.

To prepare this dish, I just soak cucumbers (use Japanese or mini-cucumber, American and English cucumber are not suitable for this) in ice water (with ice cubes) for 5-10 minutes to chill and crisp it. After drying the surface, you can cut in long st
icks by quartering lengthwise or, like I did here, cut in half in both length- and width-wise with the decorative cut. You could use different types of decorative cuts as well. If you are interested in how this and other decorative cuts using cucumbers are done, please watch this video.

Moromi miso もろみ味噌 is a special kind of miso with fermented rice , wheat or barley, and sometimes with other added vegetables. It tastes salty, sweet and a bit nutty. It is meant to be eaten as a condiment or for dipping but not for seasoning dishes or soup. You could buy it in any Japaneses grocery store and it usually comes in a small plastic pouch (see above) or in a jar. The one I got this time is called "Kinzanji-moromi" 金山寺もろみ which is best known in Wakayam 和歌山 prefecture but this one appears to have come from shinshu 信州 which is Nagano 長野 prefecture.

To eat, just pick up the cucumber and using chopsticks, place and spread a small dab of moromi miso and eat. It is nice refreshing dish in-between other dishes. I have to say, though, nothing matches freshly harvested Japanese cucumber, with a much darker green skin and still having small prickly surface, but this has to do as a good second best. You could also serve sticks of celery, carrots, or other fresh vegetables with moromi miso.

Ginger soy sauce sautéed Pork 豚肉の生姜焼き

Kissaten 喫茶店 is a Japanese coffee shop. You can not quite find the equivalent in the  U.S.. Besides coffee and tea, many Kissaten serve a light breakfast or lunch. Many years ago, we used to have these "morning set" breakfasts while we were visiting Japan and stayed in Asakusa 浅草 (These sets typically consist of a boiled egg, small salad, coffee and thick-about one inch-slice of toast with a discounted 2nd cup of coffee). Now, these are mostly replaced by Starbucks or similar Japanese chain coffee shops and the breakfast menus are nearly identical to the U.S. counterparts. Kissaten lunch menus may have included Spaghetti Neapolitan (precooked spaghetti warmed up in ketchup with sautéed mushroom-canned and pre-sliced-, onion, and ham; the Japanese interpretation/invention of a pasta dish, which has no resemblance to the name sake) and Japanese-style curry and rice カレーライス. Some kissaten, near the University I attended (which was eons ago), regularly served a Japanese style "Bento" box lunch beside more common kissaen lunch items. The items in the lunch box changed daily but the most popular and frequent item was the ginger soy sauce sautéed pork or "buta-niku no shouga-yaki" 豚肉の生姜焼き. I think this dish is also perfect for Izakaya.

The classic cut of pork used in this dish would have been very thinly sliced pork shoulder or "buta no kata ro-su" 豚の肩ロース肉 (I guess "ro-su" must have derived from "roast"). Here I used small pieces of pork tenderloin thinly pounded. Probably not the best cut of pork for this dish. I marinated thin pieces of pork in a mixture of soy sauce (4 tbs), mirin (2 tbs), and grated ginger (1/2 tsp) for 10 minutes in a Ziploc bag. You could add grated onion (2 tbs) in addition, if you like. I then sautéed the meat with a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan on both side (1-2 minutes each). I added a small amount of marinade (1-2 tbs) at the very end so that the sauce will coat the meat and become glistening. I served this with pan sautéed scallion segments. Although any drinks will go with this dish, I have to have sake.

Stewed chicken wing with plum 手羽と梅の煮付け

This in on the theme of using plums from making plum wine. I read that you could use plums from plum wine in any stewed meat like chicken wings or pork spare ribs but no "recipe" was provided. I decided just to stew chicken wings (wings and drummets separated with wing tips discarded) with plums and soy sauce flavor.

I placed wings and drummets (6 each) in a colander and poured boiling water over them and then placed them in a saute pan. I filled the remaining space in the pan with the plums which were used to make plum wine. I added enough water (400 to 500 ml or 2-3 cups) to barely cover the chicken. I also put in one scallion (white part) and 3 thin slivers of ginger. I let it simmer for 10-15 minutes with the lid on. I added soy sauce (3 tbs), mirin (2 tbs) and sake (2tbs) and turned up the flame to cook another 10-15 minutes or until the liquid reduces by half or more.

My wife made baked cauliflower with garbanzo beans, black olive, and hot pepper the night before. So I used that as an accompaniment.  The plum was soft and tasted plummy with sour and sweet flavor. Chicken is OK but not outstanding. The texture of skin is not the best. We like chicken wings cooked other ways.

Our Japanese plum tree which produced the plums used in the above dish as well as umeshu is in full bloom. Possibly due to the harsh winter, it is flowering late. It often blooms at the end of January or February. We have pictures, taken in previous years, of the blossoms covered in snow. It has a lovely subtle perfume that fills the air. During the day the flowers are covered in a cloud of bees. Where they come from, especially in January we don't know. One thing is for sure this lovely tree beats crocuses as a harbinger of spring.