Miso Rice (Japan no Gohan)

This is one of my favorite recipes that I invented taking inspiration from Oishinbo, the Gourmet Japanese food manga. I took inspiration in their technique and the ingredients they used to make their food. It is the embodiment of Japanese Culture

Miso Rice (Japan no Gohan)

200g Rice

1 Teaspoon Miso

Finely Chopped Negi (spring onion)

Olive Oil

Butter

Any Kind Of Mushroom

Soya Sauce

Sake

Dry Dashi Mix

Seaweed Mix

 

The first part of the rice is cooked using the principles of maze gohan ( Japanese mixed rice). First fry some oil and then grill about 1 teaspoon of miso in a pan. When the miso starts to become more liquid, put in the finely chopped spring onion. The fragrance of both of the ingredients is very savory, When the spring onions are done sautéing, add in the rice. By mixing the rice with the miso, the flavor seeps into the rice and makes it slightly more dry.

The next step is to fry some butter on the pan, and then add mushrooms, preferably Portobello, but any mushroom can also work. Sautee the mushroom and then add the dry seasoning first. Mainly black pepper, then add in the soy sauce and sake, causing the mushroom to caramelize with the sauce. The Fragrance of the ingredients is very strong and aromatic. Let the mixture grill for a while and reduce the sauce by about half.

Then add in the rice to the mushrooms, because of the dryness of the rice and the excess amount of sauce of the mushroom The rice will have the right consistency when mixed together. And then add the dry dashi packet into the rice, making the rice change into a more brown color. Because the dish is based on the three fundamentals of Japanese cooking: Soy sauce, Miso and Dashi. The dish has a very strong Japanese taste and is very simple. The approximate time of cooking is about five minutes.
It is preferred to eat the rice in a large bowl, because you can eat down the rice with chopsticks, which is technique used to eat maze gohan, the food that inspired this dish

 

History of Bread Making.
Documentation of Technique.

Initially, the reason that I started my passion for food was based on a series that showed me the innovation and creativity that went into making food for people. It was a series about bread, documenting a boy's journey to invent his own cultural food for Japan. His passion made me interested in cooking as an outlet of creativity. These posts that I am going to write are a documentation of technique both technical and practical that I have learned from my experience as a cook, inventor, learner and eater of good food.

Bread: Croissants
The foundation of the shape of Croissants were founded in the Ottoman Empire. There are two shapes specifically used to designate the ingredients used to make the croissant. There are the crescent shape and the straight shaped Croissant. The crescent shape is used to designate the use of margarine within the croissant, while the straight shape is used to show the use of butter within the bread. The process of making a croissant involved making many layers of pastry dough, which is then baked in the oven giving it a flaky flavor.


Bread: Parisian Bread
Parisian bread was founded in Paris, France. It has a strong founding and culture, with the length of bread being decided by Napoleon Bonaparte. the idea of making Parisian bread, is a long layer of dough that is kneaded and then rolled up to make the pastry that expands in the oven. The tastiness and texture of the bread's outer layer is caused by the air pocket inside the rolled dough. The reason that the length of the dough was set by Napoleon was because the longer the length of the dough, the better tasting the bread. By setting a specific length of making the bread, he wanted to work against decadence. The markings on the top of the bread are used to define French bread, and causes the outer layer to be more crispy.

Rhode Island Chili Dogs and Onion Rings

This is my version of the Chili dog, done with simple ingredients that form 4 different layers when put together. The four different parts are; Fried Onions, Meat Cream Sauce, Baguette and Hotdog. The Onion Rings are also made very simply and when put together forms a very good combination

Ingredients:

Chili dog:

Oil
!/2 of a White Onion
200g Minced Beef
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
Black Pepper
Pure Cream
2 tablespoon Tomato Sauce
Butter
Half a Baguette
2 Hot dogs (or any kind of Sausage)
Grated Colby Jack and Chedder Cheese

Onion Rings:
1/2 of a White Onion
Flour
Egg
Panko Breadcrumbs
Oil for frying

Steps:
1. For the Chilidog first start by Cutting the White Onion into Slices. When Onions are fried they become soft and fragrant, so bigger slices give the texture that is needed for the Chilidog. Fry the Onions in Olive oil until they become golden brown and very fragrant then remove from heat.

2. To make the Meat cream sauce, fry some butter on a pan and fry the minced beef until it is partially cooked and add in black pepper. Then add in the tomato sauce and the Pure Cream, making sure that all of the ingredients mix together well. Then add in the Tabasco, you can change the amount of Tabasco added depending on how spicy you want the chili dog to be. When the meat cream sauce is cooked, put the pan on low heat and reduce the sauce.

3. For the Baguette, cut the french bread into half length wise and then cut it again to form the bun for the chili dog. Then Butter the sides of the bread facing inwards and fry it in a pan without oil, when th bread is cooked, it will be firm and the butter will melt onto the bread.

4. For the Hotdog Take a pan and heat some water inside and cook the hotdog, make sure that the hotdog absorbs in the water and cooks completely. Also Grate some Colby Jack and Chedder Cheese, or any cheese that is available to you

5. To assemble the chili dog, Put the bread and then the Hot dog, then the Meat Cream Sauce and topping it with the fried onions. Then add in the cheese as the final topping and then bake the hotdog in  the oven of 150 degrees for 10 minutes. Then you have Chilidog, made with techniques taken from many countries.

To make the Onion Rings Basically cut the half of the Onion Lengthwise, removing each preceding ring from it. Then put the Onion Rings into flour egg and then bread crumbs and then deep fry it in oil. Basically this is a very simple recipe that tastes much better than the Onion Rings made in most restaurants. Serve the Onion Rings and the Chili-dog together and then you have a delicious meal.

Eggplant Parmesian

This is my interpretation of Eggplant Parmesan that I created after watching Bobby Flay. It is a medium-difficult dish that produces a very delicious result that is Restaurant Standard in my opinion.

Ingredients:
Half an Eggplant
One Egg
Panko Breadcrumbs
Dried Italian Herbs
Flour
1/4 white onion, finely chopped
Chopped Garlic
A lot of Canola Oil
Romano Cheese Grated
Mozzarella Cheese Grated
Parmesan Cheese Grated
Prego Sauce
Oregano
Thyme
Black Pepper
Salt

Steps:
First Start off by preparing your ingredients for deep frying the egg plant. First slice the Egg plant into slices, keeping the skin on the eggplant to give it a more natural flavor. Then Get some flour and put it onto a plate and Cover both sides of the Egg plant in the flour. Get a Bowl and beat one egg, then get another plate and mix together Breadcrumbs and dried Italian Herbs.

Then Put the Slices of egg plant covered in flour into the Egg and then the breadcrumbs, making sure that the outer layer is even and covered.

Then get a Big Pan and Fry Oil until hot. Drop the Slices of Eggplant into the Oil and fry both sides of the slices until golden brown and fragrant. Then Plate the slices and Pat it with a paper napkin to remove excess oil.

Now to preparing the Tomato Sauce that is in between each layer of eggplant and cheese. Start by sautéing the onions and garlic in oil, until they are golden brown and fragrant. Then add in the Prego Sauce to the The pan and fry until it starts to boil. Then add Thyme and Oregano to the sauce.

Now Get a pyrex and Cover the bottom a layer with the fried egg plant. Then cover that layer with some of the Tomato Sauce and Spread it about. Then cover that layer with the Grated Romano Cheese.

Then Cover it with another layer of Fried Eggplant, Then Tomato Sauce and then the Mozzarella Cheese.

Then Cover it with the Final layer of Fried Eggplant, Tomato sauce and then Parmesan Cheese.

Then Bake the Pyrex in the Oven on 150 degrees F for 20 minutes. Then Serve.

Voila, You got Eggplant Parmesan. A dish that is incredibly delicious and only takes some time to finish. Bon Appetite.

Salmon Skin Oishinbo

This is a recipe that I derived from the Supreme Menu of Kaibara Yuzan in Oishinbo. It tastes incredibly awesome and is simple to make. it makes use of the two best parts of the Salmon, the Skin and the belly meat and is a good accompaniment to Sake.

Ingredients:
Four Slices of Salmon Fillet with skin
Kosher Salt
1/2 cup of Soya Sauce
1/2 cup of sake
Toothpicks

Steps:

First rinse the salmon fillets and pat them dry. Place them on a cutting board and using a very sharp thin knife carefully cut the skin off of the flesh. As you do so, make sure to leave the thin layer of dark colored flesh attached to the skin.

Set the Skins aside. Cut the belly meat out of the fillets. Reserve the rest of the fillets for another use. Slice the belly meat into pieces about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Take half of the skin and belly meat pieces and sprinkle them with the sea salt. Put them on a plate and let them chill in the refrigerator for to for three hours.

Mix the soy sauce and sake together in a shallow dish large enough to hold the remaining salmon pieces in one layer. Place the salmon in the dish and make sure each piece is coated in the marinade. Put the bowls in the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours.

Prepare a hot pot on medium high heat and cook some butter. Place the salmon skins on the grill and cook them until their crispy and just starting to blacken. The skins cook swiftly and burn easily, so don't take your eyes of them. Remove the skins to a plate. Then grill the belly meat until they are just tender, about a minute on each side.

Let te fish sit until it is cool enough to handle. Then carefully rap one piece of the belly meat in one of the skins, securing it lengthwise with a toothpick. then plate the dish.

Voila, you have Salmon Skin Oishinbo a very tasty dish that brings out the true flavor of Salmon, by using the best parts as well as simple ingredients.

Almond Ebi Tempura

This is a form of tempura derived from the common method of making a contemporary Tempura, mainly flour, eggs and breadcrumbs. This version is quite unique in its texture and taste and I recommend people to try it.

Almond Ebi Tempura
Ingredients:
1 cup of almonds (roasted or otherwise)
8 White Prawns
flour
1 egg
a motar and pestle
Salt
Black pepper
Mirin
Canola Oil

Ingredients:

Basically start by taking a handful of Almonds and grind it within the mortar and pestle. Make sure that there is a certain difference in texture of the almonds. Some having a crunchy texture, some that are pounded like bread crumbs. Then put the crushed almonds in a bowl.

Peel the prawn and clean the back of the prawn. Make sure to leave the tail intact while peeling. Now put the prawns into a bowl and then add salt, black pepper and mirin. Mix together well so that the flavors will be spread to all of the prawns. 

Then prepare two bowls and one plate. each to hold the egg, almonds and flour respectively. Heat up a lot of Canola oil in a deep pan and prepare for deep frying. Hold each prawn by its tail while dipping it into the flour, egg and then almonds (make sure that the almonds stick to it well). Then when the oil is hot add it to the pan. Add all of the prawns consecutively, and cook until the almonds turn a nice brown and the prawn is cooked. There will be a very strong smell of almonds as you are frying it.

When they are done cooking put the prawns in a plate covered with a paper towel. Remove the excess oil from the Prawns, to make the taste more definite. 

Garnish the Plate of Prawns with lettuce so as to create a good contrast with the prawns. Get a Sauce plate and fill it with Japanese Mayonnaise as a dipping sauce for the prawn. Then your ready to serve.

Iwashi no Kabayaki

This is seasoned Pond smelt that is cooked in a similar style to Unagi. It requires a lot of patience but has a good taste and the Tare Sauce can be used for many other dishes.


Ingredients:
One Pack of Smelts
1/2 cup of flour


Tare Sauce:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup mirin
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Steps: first off mix all of the ingredients for the Tare Sauce together inside a bowl. After that stir the bowl so that the sugar gets fully dissolved into the sauce. Then put the sauce into a pan and heat until boiling, after it boils over leave it to simmer on low heat while cleaning the fish.

Now comes the Meticulous Part, meaning that you have to clean the fish before it can be used. Cleaning a Smelt: 

Step 1:Cut off the head behind the gill cover on a slight angle so that the pectoral fins are removed in the cut.

Step 2:Insert knife or scissors into anus and cut along the belly to the point where the head was removed. With finger or spoon, remove entrails by starting at the anus and scraping forward.

Step 3: and rinse by running under cold water. Scaling or skinning is not necessary, but can be done by scraping with a toothbrush or finger.

After you have finished cleaning the smelt, slice them in half and then cover in flour and let it stay for 5 mins. 

 

Then fry some oil on a pan and then fry the fish until it is golden brown. Then let the fish set while the Tare Sauce is simmering. Then Place the fish into the Tare sauce and boil until it sticks to the fish.

When the fish is finished cooking plate it and then garnish it with some sliced nori or any green that you have available. There you go Iwashi no Kabayaki. You will notice that the Tare Sauce tastes exceptionally good even though it is quite simple, you can reuse this sauce with any other meat or fish dish that suits your taste.