Japanese Home Cooking

Martin Matysik

For BBC Radio Solent - October 2007

Our guide to a healthy alternative - A Japanese Breakfast

1. Nice quality Green Tea

A quality green smells fresh and vibrant and is made from the tips of a green tea plant

Add a flat Teaspoon per person to a pre-warmed pot fill with boiled filtered water - add just enough water for each cup. Let the tea infuse for not more than one minute and pour into the cups. You can later add more water if you desire more tea. Never add more water than required as the flavour of you tea will turn bitter .

2. Steamed Japanese Rice

Use the best quality short grain rice your can afford and wash well, soak for 30min. and cook in a rice steamer. Short grain rice becomes a little sticky which made it perfect for eating with chopsticks. Asian shops supply good rice these have a beautiful subtle flavour compare to cheep rice which tastes of stale old cardboard. Just like we have here in England so many beautiful and tasty varieties of Potatoes, once you have become accustomed authentic rice will appreciate and understand why Japanese eat so much of it.

3. Home-made Miso Soup

There are three many types of miso paste, Red Miso, Brown Miso and White, each give a slightly different distinctive flavour to the base of your soup. Using fresh soya bean paste (not instant powder) and tuna bonito stock you can insert numerous varieties of fish, meat and vegetables to this, like seaweed, wild mushrooms, clams, white Mouli radish or any vegetable you prefer.

Miso contains living enzymes , which are excellent for the digestion and have the unique ability to help rid the body of toxins. An ideal substitute for non-dairy diets because it is high in Vitamin B and protein.

1 liter dashi stock

2 tblsp dried Wakame seaweed

5 tblsp White miso Paste

1 block diced silken tofu

In Japan every chef prides himself on his variation of dashi stock, which is made from sea kelp and freshly shaven bonito flakes.

To simplify this you can buy bonito flakes which you dissolve into boiling water, add the dried wakame seaweed and miso paste, heat up but do not boil , stir well then adding the tofu and any other finely cut ingredients and serve.

4. Marinated and Grilled Salmon Steak

Fresh wild salmon steak

4 tblsp soya sauce

2 tblso mrin

1 tsp sugar

Mix all t form a marinade, begin grilling the fish over medium hot heat, while brushing the top side of the fish with this marinade, turn every 2 min. and keep basting the fish. Keep cooking until cook through for about 8 min and serve.

5. Sweet Spinach with Sesame

Simple recipe using toasted and ground Sesame seeds, classical with blanched spinach or can be made with other vegetables lunch as mange tout, French beans, watercress, chrysanthemum or even burdock root. Sesame is rich in calcium and vitamin E and we all now from childhood that spinach is good for you

350g washed fresh Spinach

3 tblsp White sesame seeds

1 tsp sugar

1 tblsp light soya sauce

Wash Spinach, plunge into boiling salted water for 20 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon into ice water to retain a bright green colour. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a sauté pan remove when they are golden and start to pop, then grind with a pastel and mortar to help release a wonderful aroma. Add the sugar and soya sauce to the sesame and still until the sugar is dissolved. Now work this dressing into your spinach and place into individual dishes for serving.

6. Homemade Vegetable Pickles

These are eaten to refresh and cleans your palate and are made using any preferred/seasonal vegetable, which are preserved using this technique. The result should be crisp and crunchy and fresh tasting pickles compare to the sad varieties available from the supermarkets.

Sweet pickled Chinese Cabbage with Chilli

1 large Chinese cabbage

120g rock salt

2 tblsp hot chilli powder

3 garlic cloves

1tblsp sugar

5 spring onion - thinly sliced

1 carrot peeled and thinly slice

600ml cold pre-boiled water

Cut the cabbage into bite size pieces, put in a large bowl and toss with the rock salt, ensure that a layer of salt remains on top. Then cover with a weighted down plate and leave fin a cool place for 5 days. Remove the liquid and rinse the wilted cabbage in cold water, squeeze out all the excess water. Now mix into the cabbage chilli, garlic and sugar . Place this in a sterile jam jar and cover with water. Chill in fridge for a least 3more days before eating.

Miso pickled Vegetables

1 med. Cucumber - seed removed

1 Eggplant

2 Carrot - peeled

1 half Daikon white radish - peeled

500 g red miso

125ml mirin or sweet sherry

1 chilli - seeds removed

Wash and dry all your vegetables, put all into bite size pieces, leave these to dry on a kitchen towel to dry of 2-4hours. Meanwhile mix the miso paste with mirin and chillies. Mix miso mix and vegetables well together, cover on leave in a cool dark place for 2 days. Rise lightly before serving . Store the remaining pickles in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.