Tag: wasabi horseradish

Jibuni: Kanazawa-style simmered duck stew
Kanazawa boasts a special regional cuisine called Kaga no aji. In general the taste is mildly sweet, like most Japanese country cooking. Visually, it is not as sophisticated or ornate as Kyoto’s kaiseki haute cuisine, since it’s based on the food of the samurai – substantial and hearty, with taste, not looks, being paramount.

Jibuni is one tasty example, a special regional recipe of duck (or chicken) and vegetable stew eaten not only as a seasonal daily dish in Kanazawa but also served on many special occasions. We don’t know the precise origins of jibu, but ni means “to simmer.” Some people say that jibu jibu is the sound the stew makes while cooking. Others believe that the stew was invented by a samurai named Jibu. Since it is one of the few dishes that uses flour as a thickener, many suspect that it has Portuguese origins from the early days of the Edo period (1603-1867).

Jibuni: Kanazawa-style Duck Stew Recipe

Jibuni is one of my favorite Japanese winter comfort dishes, but please don’t limit yourself to consuming it only during that time of year. Based on the season, there are many variations around. It’s fun to play with the basic recipe, replacing ingredients according to your tastes or what’s available at the market. For example, you can try fresh spinach; dried, reconstituted shiitake mushrooms or other Japanese mushrooms; Japanese parsley (seri); or Japanese leeks (negi).

My variation of jibuni is based on a recipe from Tsubajin, one of Kanazawa’s oldest (two hundred seventy years plus) and most famous restaurants.

The ancient castle town of Kanazawa, located on the Japan Sea side of Honshu in Ishikawa Prefecture, was ruled peacefully for over three centuries by one of the country’s richest daimyo families, the Maedas. It retains a rich cultural heritage and old-world charm, and also remains one of the true gourmet meccas of Japan.

Other Delicacies from Kanazawa

Many of Kanazawa’s delicacies, such as gori (singing bird fish), come from the Saigawa and the Asanogawa – two large rivers running through the center of town.

The Omicho Market, which is at least two hundred and fifty years old and is often referred to as “Kanazawa’s Kitchen”, continues to be one of the most notable food markets in Japan. The market is filled with more than two hundred open stalls selling a variety of fresh seafood and local produce, including game and a small, sweet coldwater shrimp called ama-ebi.

And since Kanazawa produces nearly all of Japan’s gold leaf, it shouldn’t be surprising that a local custom involves drinking green tea, coffee, or sake with edible gold leaf floating on the surface. It remains one of my favorite towns to revisit over and over.

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Jibuni: Kanazawa-style simmered duck stew

Lucy Seligman

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Servings 4

Ingredients

6 cups dashi fish stock
8 tbsp soy sauce
9-10 tbsp mirin (sweet sake)
4 slices bamboo shoot, 2 inches by 1 inch
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
8 snow peas, trimmed
4 4 Kanazawa-style sudarebu (fresh wheat gluten – may be replaced by broiled tofu or dried wheat gluten) cut into 1-inch squares
4 slices boned & skinless duck breast*, 2 inches by 1 inch each,
All-purpose white flour as needed
Garnish
Freshly grated wasabi horseradish

Instructions

Heat the dashi stock and season it with the soy sauce and mirin. Boil the vegetables until crisp but tender. Turn down the heat to a high simmer and add in the sudarebu or tofu. Add in the duck (or chicken), which should be generously coated in the flour, at the last moment. This flour coating creates a thicker dashi broth and is a key element to the success and tastiness of this dish. It will take less than three minutes to cook each ingredient.

To serve, pile the vegetables and duck (or chicken) separately in small mounds in a shallow bowl, pour a little of the remaining sauce over them, and place a dab of wasabi in the center. Serve immediately.

Notes
Notes:
If you’re using tofu, first press some of the water out by putting it between two plates for 10 minutes. Drain.
You may replaced the duck with boneless, skinless chicken breast.

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Kaminari Dofu aka Thunder Tofu
Let’s face it, tofu can be bland, but also quite versatile in any number of Japanese dishes. That’s why I am always looking for innovative ways to make it more tasty and interesting. Used as a foundation for a recipe, it can take on very assertive flavors. Kaminari Dofu (aka Thunder Tofu) is no exception. This is one of my all-time favorite tofu recipes.

It is my adaptation of a recipe from the Edo Period (1603-1868), adapted from a recipe of Kyoiku-shashin-sho’s “Tofu Hyakuchin.” Kaminari (translated as thunder) Dofu is called that because of the PARI PARI sound when you saute tofu in oil, as tofu contains a lot of water. When you make this dish, listen for this!

What is tofu (bean curd) made of?

It is pressed soybean milk and which is then fermented so that they coagulate into curds, similar to cheese. The curds are pressed into molds which are then allowed to drain, encouraging the curds to stick together. It has a high protein content.

There are number of Japanese tofu varieties, based on its level of firmness.

Soft Tofu (Kinudofu):
Soft (or silken) tofu is fresh tofu with a smooth, custard-like consistency.

Regular (Firm) Tofu:
Firm tofu has a much sturdier, drier texture than soft tofu. As a result, it stands up better to cooking. It is available in a number of varieties, ranging from soft to extra firm. Momentofu – The second firmest tofu has a medium consistency. It can also be known as regular, coarse, spongy, cotton, or wool tofu. Yakitofu is lightly grilled and as a result is the firmest.

Deep Fried Tofu (Aburaage and Atsuage):
There are several varieties of deep fried tofu common to Japanese cuisine: Aburaage and Atsuage are the most common.

Freeze Dried Tofu (Koyadofu):
Koyadofu is freeze dried tofu. It has a spongy texture that absorbs whatever sauce, nabe or soup it is placed in.

When I lived in Tokyo, I took a cooking class where we made fresh tofu. I can remember the taste to this day. I’ve noticed that in recent years at many high-end Japanese restaurants here in the States, house made tofu is often offered. Try it! I have loved it every time it has been available. You can often find fresh tofu at Japanese markets as well and well worth the search. Add some freshly made Japanese rice, a bowl of miso soup, and you have a very tasty, easy, quick and delicious meat-free meal!

My recipes may include affiliate links, so without costing you anything extra, I’ll earn a small percentage of the sales if you purchase these items through these links. Thank you for your support!

Leave a note in the comments section if you make this dish!
Kaminari Dofu

Lucy Seligman

5 from 1 vote

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Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 blocks momen (cotton) tofu
4 tablespoons Japanese sesame oil
4 tablespoons Soy sauce or to taste
grated Daikon radish to taste, drain off excess water
1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped
Togarashi (dried red pepper) or cayenne pepper to taste
Wasabi horseradish to taste

Instructions

Place the tofu between 2 plates and leave for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain off the excess water, and mash the tofu between your fingers. Wrap in a clean towel (or cheesecloth) and firmly press out as much remaining water as you can.
Heat the oil in a wok. Add the unwrapped tofu and stir quickly. Add soy sauce and continue cooking over high heat for a few minutes.
To serve, place the tofu mixture in bowls, topped with grated daikon, sprinkle with green onions and togarashi. Put a dab of wasabi in the center and serve piping hot. You can also serve this family style, in a large bowl.

Notes
Have all your ingredients prepped and prepared as this dish needs to be served piping hot.

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Real Eel: An Electrifying Dish from Nagoya
Once tasted, the delicate flavor of eel (unagi), prepared according to the special ways of Japanese cuisine, will linger in your memory forever. Since the Edo period (1603-1867), eel has traditionally been eaten in the height of midsummer on the Day of the Ox (July 23); popular custom has it that anyone who eats eel on this day will have extra stamina to cope with the summer heat. This is a custom I follow to this day! But the true gourmet’s season for eel consumption is late fall to winter (the time of spawning), when eel are at their best, even tastier than usual.

Not sure where to get ingredients?

I like NIHON ICHIBAN (a shop for authentic Japanese products run by the same family for 5 generations). This is an affiliate link so without costing you anything extra, I’ll earn a small percentage of the sales if you purchase items through this link. Thank you for your support!

There are many ways to serve unagi: the most popular is kabayaki, eel grilled in sauce, served separately from rice; if served on rice, it is called unaju. Or there is shirayaki, eel grilled without sauce, served with wasabi (horseradish) and soy sauce. A more unusual dish, unagi kamameshi, is the creation of Torisuzu, a chain of restaurants in Nagoya, where I lived for a number of years. It combines flavored rice and grilled eel with a tasty stock poured over the top, and wasabi and chopped green onions for an extra flourish. After tasting this dish just once, you’ll be a convert for life.

Be warned, this recipe needs constant attention – no running away from the stove while it’s cooking.

Buy the unagi sauce from a Japanese supermarket or supplier as it is virtually impossible for the home cook to make – in the kitchen at Torisuzu, a large vat of unagi bones, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin (sweet sake) is kept specially heated and cooking for a full three months before use. It’s also advisable to buy ready-grilled kabayaki eel (frozen if necessary), as grilling fresh eel is an intricate art unto itself.
Unagi Kamameshi

Lucy Seligman

5 from 1 vote

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Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4

Ingredients

3 cups short-grain Japanese white rice
4 ½ cups water
¾ cup unagi sauce
14 oz. kabayaki (grilled eel, thickly sliced), Look in Japanese supermarkets, they are usually sold in vacuumed sealed packages in the frozen section.
For the stock:
3 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons dashi (fish stock granules)
1 ½ teaspoons low-salt soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoons sake
A pinch of salt
To garnish:
½ cup minced or finely chopped green onions
Wasabi horseradish to taste

Instructions

Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Drain and let sit for 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Place the rice and water in a heavy, deep, medium-sized saucepan with a well-fitting lid. Boil vigorously, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. To keep from boiling over, tap the top of the pan a number of times with a spoon. Most of the water should disappear – if it evaporates too quickly, turn down the heat during the last few minutes of cooking to avoid burning.
Pour in the unagi sauce and mix well, then turn heat down to medium-simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eel slices, cover again, and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the stock. Heat water and stir in the dashi until dissolved. Add soy sauce and sake and adjust seasoning.
To serve, mix the eel into the rice and serve in individual bowls. Pass the stock, green onion, and wasabi separately, allowing each person to mix in as they desire.

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Not only can you find a number of recipes from Nagoya on Thanks For the Meal, but we have a whole collection of regional Japanese recipes from across the country.

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Here’s the one I purchased at my local Asian mall. Leave a note in the comments section (see below) if you make this dish!