Japanese Beef Bowl (Gyudon)

I had this at Yoshinoya Hamamatsucho restaurant in Tokyo.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dashi (see below)
2 tbsps mirin or a sweet white wine (such as Riesling or Gewürztraminer)
2 tbsps sake
2 ½ tbsps soy sauce
2 tsps sugar
250 grams beef (very thinly sliced)
100 grams onion (~ ½ large onion, sliced ¼” thick lengthwise)
1 scallion (chopped, optional for garnish)
benishōga (red pickled ginger, optional for garnish)

1. Put all liquids and the sugar into a pan and heat. Add onions and simmer until translucent.
2. Add beef and simmer until onions and beef are thoroughly cooked. Simmer uncovered to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.

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Dashi

INGREDIENTS

4 ¼ cups water
10 grams konbu (type of dried kelp used for making stock)
15 grams katsuobushi (dried Skipjack tuna)

1. Add the konbu to the water and soak for at least 3 hours. You can store this konbu dashi in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
2. Remove the konbu and bring the dashi to a boil (you can use the konbu for something else).
3. Turn off the heat, and add the katsuobushi. Let this steep for 3-4 minutes.
4. Strain the dashi and use it right away, or let it cool completely and store it in the refrigerator.

Source: www.youtube.com

Japanese Hot Pot

INGREDIENTS

• ½ lb beef, thinly sliced
• 1 cup beef, mushroom or chicken stock
• ½ cup sake
• ½ cup mirin
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 150gm baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise
• 5 green onions
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced lengthwise into strips
• 150-200gm mushrooms (a combination of baby king, enoki, black oyster or brown)
• ¼-½ tsp Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) to taste
• 1-2 cup cooked udon noodles or cooked rice

DIRECTIONS 

1. Chop the green onion into 2 inch pieces, two from each onion. Thinly slice some of the remaining green onion to make about 2 tbsp for a garnish to finish.
2. In a medium sized pot combine the stock, mirin, sake and soy sauce. Add the yellow onion and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the shichimi togarashi and stir in, adjusting the amount to taste.
3. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes then add the green onion pieces and bok choy and simmer another 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the beef and cook to desired doneness.
5. If using noodles add to the hot pot and heat through. If using rice serve on the side in a bowl.
6. Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle on some of the green onion garnish.

Rödkål (Swedish Red Cabbage)

• 2 oz butter
• 1 large red cabbage, cored and shredded
• 2 tbsps black treacle (molasses)
• 1 onion, grated
• 2 to 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 3 tbsps lemon juice
• 4 oz red wine
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy casserole. Add the cabbage and treacle, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly.
2. Stir in the onion, apples, lemon juice, wine and salt and pepper.
3. Simmer gently for 3 hours or more until tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Adjust seasoning. 

 The Two Fat Ladies, Season 2, Episode 7 (Christmas Special) - YouTube

Beef Negimaki

Beef negimaki is a dish where paper-thin slices of beef are wrapped around tender negi (Japanese leeks), then seared and glazed like teriyaki until glossy and savory-sweet.

You want very thin slices of beef that cook in a flash and stay tender. You can buy pre-sliced “shabu-shabu” or “hot pot” beef at Asian grocers or ask the butcher at mainstream store to slice paper-thin for you. If that’s not an option, you can partially freeze a steak at home and slice it yourself against the grain. I will explain recommended cuts in the later section.
Negi (Japanese leeks): true negi sometimes shows up at Japanese or Korean markets, but regular leeks are much easier to find at any supermarket and give you that same tender-sweet center. You can also use thick parts of green onions or scallions if that’s what you have.

Japanese soy sauce substitutes: Chinese light soy sauce works in a pinch. It’s slightly saltier, so start with a bit less. Avoid Chinese dark soy sauce: it’s too thick and molasses-heavy for this glaze.
Mirin substitutes: dry sherry or white wine plus some sugar captures that similar sweet depth. Cola (yes, really) also works 1:1.
Sake substitutes: dry sherry or white wine.
Potato starch substitutes: cornstarch or tapioca starch work perfectly.
Rice vinegar substitutes: white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Use slightly less, as both are more acidic than rice vinegar’s gentle tang.
Yuzu substitute: for this Japanese citrus fruit lemon zest could be substituted.

Basic beef cuts:

Cut

Fat Content

Tenderness

Ribeye

High marbling

Very tender

Chuck Eye Roll

Good marbling

Moderately tender

Flank Steak

Lean

Somewhat tough unless cut properly

Round

Very Lean

Can be tough

Beef negimaki doesn’t require top-quality beef like shabu-shabu. You can use any cut of beef as long as it's thinly sliced. If you need to thinly slice the meat yourself at home, place the block of meat in the freezer for a short amount of time so that the meat becomes firm (but not frozen). This will make the meat easier to thinly slice.

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Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sake or dry sherry or white wine
• 1 tsp honey or brown sugar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar;
• 1 clove grated garlic or ½ tsp garlic paste for every clove
• 1 tsp grated ginger root or ginger paste
• 1 Japanese leek (negi) white part, or regular small leeks or green onions
• 150g (5oz) thinly sliced (1.5mm) beef ribeye or chuck eye roll
• 1 tsp potato starch or cornstarch
• 1 tsp cooking oil
• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil for finishing
• Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

How to Make My Beef Negimaki

Prepare the Sauce

1. In a small bowl, mix together Japanese soy sauce, sake, mirin, honey, grated garlic, grated ginger, and rice vinegar. This mix gives you a well-balanced, umami-rich glaze.
2. Put the sauce you just mixed near your stove so you can get to it easily while you’re cooking.

Prepare the Leeks

1. Prepare a pot of boiling water and an ice water bath.
2. Wash your Japanese leeks thoroughly and cut them into 10cm (4-inch) segments, primarily the white parts (use the greener parts for stock or soup). This length is ideal for rolling and gives you perfect bite-sized pieces after cooking.
3. Peel off one outer layer of the leek.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the white parts of your leeks for about 60 seconds (extend to 90-120 seconds for regular leeks, but skip blanching altogether if using green onions).
5. After blanching, put them immediately into the ice water bath for a few minutes. Remove from the water and pat them dry with paper towels.

Select and Prepare Your Beef

1. For the best negimaki, you’ll need very thinly sliced beef.
2. If your beef slices are too small to fully wrap around the leek, overlap them slightly on a cutting board before rolling. This creates a seamless wrap that won’t fall apart during cooking.

Rolling

1. Lay your beef slices flat and place a piece of blanched leek at one end. Roll the beef tightly around the leek, making sure there are no gaps. If your beef is narrow, wrap it diagonally to create a spiral effect up the leek.
2. If you’ve got more beef than you need, you can use a double-layer rolling method where the beef slices overlap slightly. This helps prevent shrinkage when you’re cooking, making the end result more tender.

Why Roll Tightly?
A tight roll makes sure everything cooks evenly, keeps the leek from slipping out, and keeps the juices sealed inside the meat.

Apply the Coating

Lightly dust the rolled beef with potato starch, making sure to shake off any excess. This thin coating serves multiple purposes.

Why Potato Starch?
The starch coating creates a beautiful golden-brown exterior through a chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction, which is what gives those delicious browned flavors.

Cook

1. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add cooking oil and swirl it around to coat the surface. First, put your rolls in the pan with the seam-side down. This step is crucial because it seals the roll and bonds the proteins together with heat.
2. Brown each side quickly, about 30 to 60 seconds per side, and use tongs to turn the meat to make sure it browns evenly.
3. Resist the urge to use lower heat throughout. The high-heat sear creates a flavor-sealing crust while keeping the inside tender. The whole cooking process shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes, any longer and you risk drying out the thinly sliced beef.

Create the Perfect Glaze

1. When all sides are nicely browned, turn the heat down to medium-low and pour in your prepared sauce. If you want a cleaner flavor, push the rolls to one side and wipe out any excess oil in the pan with kitchen paper before adding the sauce.
2. Continuously move the rolls in the sauce while it reduces, about 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and develops a beautiful shine. Baste the rolls frequently to ensure even coating.

Don’t Over-Reduce Your Sauce

Watch your sauce carefully – there’s a fine line between perfect glaze and bitter, overly salty reduction. The ideal consistency is when it coats the back of a spoon but still flows slowly. If it starts to thicken too much, immediately add a tablespoon of water to stop the reduction.

Finish

1. Turn off the heat and transfer the rolls to a cutting board.
2. Allow the rolls to rest for 1-2 minutes before slicing. For the most attractive presentation, cut each roll into half or third.
3. Drizzle any remaining sauce from the pan over your plated negimaki, then finish with ½ tsp toasted sesame oil and your choice of toppings:

Shichimi togarashi
Freshly ground pepper
Yuzu peels (substitute lemon zest)
Shredded shiso leaves

Source: sudachirecipes.com/beef-negimaki

Escargot à la Crème Croustades

• 6 slices of good white bread, or 12 pre-made croustades or vols-au-vent
• 12 large escargot
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 3 tbsp shallot, minced
• ½ tsp thyme
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1. Making the white bread for croustades (if using pre-made croustades or vols-au-vent skip to step 2):
1. Trim crusts from the white bread and roll out thin with a rolling pin.
2. Use a 2¼ inch round cutter to cut out rounds in the bread. Butter a 1¼ inch muffin pan and press each round into the pan.
3. Brush each round with melted butter and bake in a 400ºF oven for about 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
4. Transfer croustades to a rack to cool.
2. Rinse escargot in cold water then pat dry with a paper towel.
3. In a stainless steel or enamelled pan combine the escargot, white wine, chicken stock, shallot, thyme, and bay leaf. Reduce mixture under high heat until it is reduced to 3 tbsp.
4. Add the heavy cream and the garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste and then reduce to ⅓ cup. Stir in the butter and 2 tbsp of the parsley (retaining 1 tbsp). Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.
5. Fill each croustades with one escargot and some sauce, and then sprinkle with a little parsley.
6. Serve immediately. 

Escargot in vols-au-vent

Blini

The time honoured accompaniment for caviar is the blini. Make a few with this simple recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp salt 
• ½ tsp baking powder 
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted 
• butter or avocado oil, for frying

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, sugar, egg, and melted butter. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt added.
2. Slowly whisk egg mixture into flour mixture until batter is combined and mostly smooth, with some small lumps remaining. Be careful not to over-mix.
3. Line plate with paper towels and set aside. Lightly grease skillet with clarified butter or avocado oil. Heat skillet over medium-low to medium heat (I usually set mine on 4 out of 10).
4. Drop 1-tablespoon-sized scoops of batter onto a heated skillet. Cook until bubbles form, approximately 1½ to 2 minutes. Flip blini over and continue cooking until lightly browned, approximately 1 minute. Transfer blini from skillet to plate lined with paper towels (to help soak up excess butter/avocado oil). Wipe out skillet and repeat process until all batter has been used.
5. Serve warm with toppings of choice.

Source: 40 Aprons

Cheese Soufflé

Preparing the mold for the soufflé
So that the soufflé may slide easily up during its rise, butter the sides and bottom of the mold heavily. Then roll grated cheese or bread crumbs around inside it, paying particular attention to the inner circumference, which must be lightly but evenly coated. Turn the mold upside down and knock it on the table to dislodge excess cheese or bread crumbs.

PLACEMENT IN THE OVEN
A soufflé will always perform as it should if it is placed on a rack in the middle level of a preheated goo-degree oven and the temperature is immediately reduced to 375 degrees.

WHEN IS IT DONE?
After 25 to 30 minutes of baking in a 375-degree oven, the soufflé will have risen 2 or 3 inches over the rim of the mold and will have browned on top. If you like the center creamy, it may be served at this point, but it is fragile and will sink rapidly. It will collapse less readily if you allow it to cook 4 to 5 minutes more, until a trussing needle or thin knife plunged into the center through the side of the puff comes out clean. A well-cooked soufflé will stay puffed for about 5 minutes in the turned-off hot oven. As it cools, it begins to sink. Therefore, there should be no lingering when a soufflé is to be eaten.

HOW TO SERVE A SOUFFLÉ
Puncture the top of the soufflé lightly with a serving spoon and fork—held vertically—and spread it apart for each serving.

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SOUFFLÉ AU FROMAGE
[Cheese Soufflé]

This recipe is intended as a detailed guide to those that follow. All main. soufflés follow this general pattern:
For 4 people

The soufflé sauce base

6-cup soufflé mold 1 tsp butter 1 tbsp grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Measure out all your ingredients. Butter inside of soufflé mold and sprinkle with cheese.

3 tbsp butter

A 2½-quart saucepan

3 tbsp flour

A wooden spatula or spoon

1 cup boiling milk

A wire whip

½ tsp salt

⅛ tsp pepper

A pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

Melt the butter in the saucepan. Stir in the flour with a wooden spatula or spoon and cook over moderate heat until butter and flour foam together fora minutes without browning. Remove from heat; when mixture has stopped bubbling, pour in all the boiling milk at once. Beat vigorously with a wire whip until blended. Beat in the seasonings. Return over moderately high heat and boil, stirring with the wire whip, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.

4 egg Yolks

Remove from heat. Immediately start to separate the eggs. Drop the egg whites into an egg white bowl, and the yolk into the center of the hot sauce. Beat the yolk into the sauce with the wire whip. Correct seasoning.
(*) May be prepared ahead to this point. Dot top of sauce with butter. Heat to tepid before continuing.

The egg whites and cheese
¾ cup (3 ounces) coarsely grated Swiss, or Swiss and Parmesan, cheese

Reheat sauce if it was set aside. Add cheese and mix thoroughly until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce. Sauce should be smooth.

5 egg whites
A pinch of salt

1. Combine is a clean, dry mixing bowl and whip until stiff.
2. Transfer sauce to a mixing bowl and stir a big spoonful (about one quarter of the egg whites) into the sauce. Stir in all but a tablespoon of the cheese.
3. Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites. Be careful not to overfold (see below).

Baking
Turn the soufflé mixture into the prepared mold, which should be almost three quarters full. Tap bottom of mold lightly on the table, and smooth the surface of the soufflé with the flat of a knife. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Set on a rack in middle level of preheated 400-degree oven and immediately turn heat down to 375. (Do not open oven door for 20 minutes.) In 25 to 30 minutes the soufflé will have puffed about 2 inches over the rim of the mold, and the top will be nicely browned. Bake 4 to 5 minutes more to firm it up, then serve at once.

* * * * *

Folding sauce into whipped egg whites
First stir a big spoonful of egg whites into the soufflé mixture to lighten it. Then with a rubber scraper, scoop the rest of the egg whites on top. Finally, still using your rubber scraper, cut down from the top center of the mixture to the bottom of the saucepan, then draw the scraper quickly toward you against the edge of the pan, and up to the left and out, as illustrated. You are thus bringing a bit of the soufflé mixture at the bottom of the pan up over the egg whites. Continue the movement while slowly rotating the saucepan, and rapidly cutting down, toward you, and out to the left, until the egg whites have been folded into the body of the soufflé. The whole process should not take more than a minute, and do not attempt to be too thorough. It is better to leave a few unblended patches than to deflate the egg whites.

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol 1 by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck. pp162-4

Spice Mixtures

Here are a few recipes to make your own popular spice mixtures.

Taco Seasoning

• ¼ cup chili powder 
• 3 tbsp dried minced onion 
• 1 tbsp garlic powder 
• 2½ tsp salt 
• 2 tsp dried oregano 
• 2 tsp ground cumin 
• 1½ tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1 tsp ground coriander

Italian Seasoning

• 6 tbsp dried basil 
• 2 tbsp dried oregano 
• 1 tbsp dried marjoram 
• 1 tbsp dried thyme

Curry Seasoning

• seeds from 3 cardamom pods, ground 
• 2 tsp cumin 
• 2 tsp ground coriander 
• 1 tsp ground turmeric 
• ½ tsp chili powder 
• ½ tsp pepper 
• ⅛ tsp fennel seed

Creole Seasonings

• 2 tbsp + 1½ tsp paprika 
• 2 tbsp garlic powder 
• 1 tbsp salt 
• 1 tbsp onion powder 
• 1 tbsp dried thyme 
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper 
• 1 tbsp pepper

Seasoned Salt

• ⅓ cup salt 
• 1½ tsp garlic powder 
• 1½ tsp celery seed 
• 1½ tsp paprika 
• ½ tsp onion powder 
• ½ tsp ground mustard

Chinese Five Spice

• 2 tbsp aniseed 
• 2 tbsp fennel seed 
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon 
• 2 tbsp whole cloves 
• 2 tbsp whole peppercorns

Tuna Mousse

This is an easy and quick appetizer by Jacques Pépin that uses readily available ingredients.

Mousse
1 can tuna, preferably in oil
1 tbsp anchovy paste
2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika
A few drops of sriracha or other hot sauce (e.g., Frank's Red Hot)
1/2-2/3 cup cream cheese

Garnish
1 tbsp sliced green onion
1 tbsp red onion, finely minced
1 tbsp capers, chopped
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Emulsify the mousse ingredients in a blender to puree and then spread on a serving dish.
Finely mince the red onion and then rinse under cold water to reduce hotness, or sauté till softened. Sprinkle the red onion, green onion and capers over the dish. Drizzle the olive over the dish. Serve with crackers.

Pork Dim Sum

by Jay Wadams

Pork Dim Sum (Siu Mai) are one of the most famous and delicious meals served from the Dim Sum trolley. Luckily, they are also simple to make at home and you can fill these delicious morsels with all your favourite flavours.

These pork dumplings might be often called dim sum, but they are actually just one type of dim sum dish called "siu mai/shu mai". The term "dim sum" actually refers to a whole meal of many different dishes.

Ground pork: either make your own ground pork or have it ground for you at the butcher for best results. Use pork with a decent fat content, so add a bit of pork belly or bacon if it is not fat enough. Lean pork is not suitable as it can taste a little dry.
Dumpling wrappers: You can find these in the freezer or fridge section at most Asian stores as well as grocery stores with a decent international foods section. They are sold under the name gow gee wrappers or wonton wrappers.
Soy sauce: use light soy sauce as dark soy a little overpowering.
Rice vinegar: This adds a tanginess and balance to the recipe. If you can’t get rice vinegar, substitute apple cider vinegar.
Green onions or scallions: These cook faster than standard onions, so you can put them raw into the dim sum mixture.

• ½ lb minced pork
• 2 green onions or scallions, finely sliced
• ½ red chili pepper, diced
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander/cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 24 wonton or dumpling wrappers, defrosted if frozen
• parchment paper or lettuce leaves
  
• bamboo steamer

Dipping sauce:

• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• ½ red chili pepper, sliced
• a squeeze of fresh lime

Method

1. Prepare the steamer: cut a disc of parchment paper to the size of your steaming basket and poke numerous holes in the the paper with the end of a sharp knife, or lay a single layer of lettuce leaves in the steaming basket. Soak the base of the bamboo steamer in cold water.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the filling ingredients until well combined. Use your hands to knead until smooth.
3. Dust a baking sheet or large plate with cornstarch.
4. Next, take one dumpling wrapper, hold it in the palm of your hand and place a heaping teaspoon of the meat filling in the middle. Fold the edges of the wrapper up all around the meat, forming a pouch that’s open at the top. Gently press the wrapper against the filling so that it sticks. If you find the wonton skin is really not sticking, wet your index finger and use it to pinch the sides together. Place on the prepared tray and repeat. Cover and chill until needed.

Cooking

1. Fill the bottom of a wok or large frying pan with a couple of cups of water. The water should come around 3/4 inch up the sides of your steaming basket, but not touch the bottom of the dumplings.
2. Bring the water to a boil, then place the closed steaming basket on top.
3. Steam the dumplings for 10 minutes.
4. Serve the pork dim sum immediately with the dipping sauce.

Variations

1. Add prawn/shrimp: These dumplings are often made with a mixture of pork and prawn. Stir in as much finely diced prawns as you like and continue as per the recipe.
2. If you want to bulk out these dumplings, add some diced water chestnuts or mushrooms to make the filling mixture go a little further.

Ma B's Pizza Casserole

• 4 cups of cooked pasta – shells or corkscrew 
• 750ml spaghetti sauce 
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated 
• 1 cup pepperoni, sliced 
• 1 cup green pepper, sliced 
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (optional) 
• 2 cups mozzarella, grated

1. Combine the pasta, Parmesan cheese and half the spaghetti sauce in a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the pasta mixture. Scatter the pepperoni, green pepper and mushroom on top of the pasta mixture. Top with the mozzarella. (If using bacon, cook until half cooked before adding to the casserole.)
   
3. Bake at 350ºF for about 40 minutes or until it is thoroughly heated through. 
4. Optionally, after being thoroughly cooked, place under a broiler to lightly brown the cheese.