Japanese cuisine is one of our all time favorites. There’s a tremendous amount of variety and a real focus on the beauty of the presentation. Colors, textures and the use of fresh, seasonal ingredients are the fundamental essence of Japanese cuisine.
The ultimate Japanese dining experience is a kaisake dinner, in which many courses are served in small portions. Essentially, it’s a tasting menu.
All of the following dishes can be used as components of a kaisake dinner or you can choose to serve them as a complete meal, on their own.
This week we will provide recipes for the entire tasting menu in a traditional style. It’s a bit of work but it makes a great dinner party that your guests won’t soon forget.
Sake is the beverage of choice for a Japanese meal. Some varieties are served warm, while others are served cold. We like to provide one of each.
Some of your guests might prefer a beer like Sapporo.
As your guests arrive, you may want to set the mood by offering them a beverage accompanied by a dish of pickled vegetables, which you can find in the Asian market. You can make them at home but it’s a real project and must be done at least 10 days ahead of time.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c dried wakame ( seaweed)
- 1/4 c white miso paste
- 6 c dashi
- 1/2 lb soft tofu, cubed
- 1/4 c thinly sliced scallion greens
Preparation
- Place wakame in warm water for 15 min to rehydrate then drain
- Whisk miso and 1/2 c dashi in a bowl until smooth
- Heat remaining dashi in a sauce pan
- Gently stir in tofu and wakame
- Simmer 1 min
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in miso mixture and scallion tops.
Serve
Ingredients
- 5 oz unbleached cake flour
- 5 oz white rice flour
- 1 1/2 qt veg oil
- 1 lg egg beaten
- 1 1/2 c cold seltzer
- 1/2 c vodka
- 6 oz sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
- 1/4 lb broccoli florets
- 1/4 lb carrot slices
- 1/4 lb green beans
- 1/2 lb peeled and cleaned prawns or additional vegetables
- Ice
Preparation
- Whisk together cake flour and rice flour
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pot, until it reads 375 on a deep fry thermometer
- Whisk together egg,seltzer and vodka
- Combine the flour mixture with the liquid mixture in a glass bowl and briefly whisk to combine 10 – 15 seconds
- Set the bowl in an ice bath
- Dip the sweet potato pieces into the batter allowing the excess to drop off
- Fry the pieces for about 2 min until they are puffy and light gold
- Place them on a cooling rack lined with paper towels
- Repeat the process with the remaining vegetables
- Repeat with prawns and serve immediately
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp peanut oil
- 1 lb stewing beef
- 1 lg onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 heaping Tbsp fresh minced ginger
- 1 Apple, cored, peeled and minced
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 2 lg carrots, chopped
- 1 lg potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 4 Tbsp curry powder
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 c red wine
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 4 c water
Preparation
- In a large pot, heat 1 Tbsp of peanut oil and brown the beef. Cook it for about 5 min, until cooked through
- Remove the beef and set it aside
- Heat the second Tbsp of oil and caramelize the onions on a low flame. About 15 min
- Add garlic, ginger and apple
- Heat for 5 min, stirring constantly
- Add flour and stir constantly for 1 min
- Add carrots,potatoes, garam masala and curry powder and stir to combine
- Add tomato paste and stir
- Slowly add wine, stirring constantly
- Bring to a boil
- Add sugar ,soy sauce and water and bring back to a boil
- Add the beef and reduce heat to a low simmer
- Cover and cook for 30 min
- Remove cover and continue to cook for 45 min until it has reduced by at least 1/3. Cook it longer if you like it thicker
- Serve over rice or ramen
Ingredients
- 3/4 oz dried wakame
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1/2 c shredded carrot
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Preparation
- Soak the seaweed for 5 min
- Drain and squeeze out excess water
- Whisk together vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic
- Add seaweed, scallions, carrots and cilantro
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve
Enjoy your Japanese meal
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