Yasai Yakitori (grilled japanese skewers with yakitori sauce)

In true tradition of most yakitori dishes, these yasai (vegetables) are in keeping with the tradition. They form a colourful and flavoursome side dise, and can fit in almost any setting, being as a starter, accompaniment to a main course, or a delightful finger food on buffets. They're also extremely easy to make. Did i happen to mention they're healthy also?

You will need:

1 courgette, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 thick spring onions, bulb only, cut in 1 inch chunks (sliced diagonally for aestheics)
1 orange or yellow pepper, trimmed, deseeded, and cut into 1 in chunks
6 button mushrooms
6 cherry tomatoes
Vegetable oil
salt and white pepper
2 tbsp yakitori sauce
6 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for about 2 hours

Thread 1 of each piece of vegetable on each skewer, the order doesn't matter so much, but for aesthetics and uniformity, remember your original configuration. Brush with vegetable oil and season with salt and white pepper.

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan or griddle until smoking, then add the skewers turning frequently for 4-5 until golden brown.

Drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Brush with yakitori sauce and serve.

Devour.

Yakitori sauce

Yakitori is a slightly sweet, soy based sauce that is used for dipping or glazing meat, vegetables and fish. It's also very moreish :)

You will need

6 tablespoons of sake
180ml light soy sauce
6 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon caster sugar

The doing bit

Combine all the ingredients in a small pan and gently heat to dissolve sugar . Set aside to cool.

Ebi kuzu kiri sauce

This sauce is sharp and intense, and will serve well as a dipping sauce or as a finish aid. It uses clean citrus flavours balanced with rich oyster sauce. Ideal for use with seafood, fish, red meats and poultry.

You will need

2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Juice of 3 lines
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

The doing bit

Gently heat the sugar and fish sauce until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool and combine with the oyster sauce and lime juice.

Cured Marinated Salmon Salad

image courtesy of marel.com

What I love about salads is they can be, in the right setting wonderfully satisfying and fulfilling. Although light and more often than not guilt free, they can be incredibly wholesome. This recipe is no exception to the rule, it provides clean and earthy flavours to create a wholesome balance, whilst at the same time giving a nice healthy balance to nutrition also. Using traditional oriental flavours, as well as fish that is rich in protein, vitamins and omega 3 oils, it provides a joy for all audiences. It can also be adapted for larger proportions should the need arise, without the guilt factor.

You will need (for the marinade)

1 teaspoon sugar
Zest and juice of one whole lime
1 garlic clove, crushed with a little salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tbsp light soy sauce

For the salad

2 pieces (roughly 75g) fresh salmon cut into thin slices (use trimmings for thrift)
150g beansprouts
75g cucumber, grated
1 red chilli, trimmed and very thinly sliced
3 sprigs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped.

The doing bit

Marinade:

Combine sugar and two tablespoons on the lime juice in a small bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved. Add garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce and stir until uniform. Take the salmon and marinade in 4 tablespoons of the marinade mixture, cover and allow to marinade for about 3 hours. Store the rest of the marinade for later use.

The rest:

Blanche the beansprouts in lightly salted boiling water for 10 second and refresh under cold water. Combine with the cucumber and chilli. Sprinkle with the remaining juice and flat leaf parsley. Serve the salmon slices on top or around the salad (its all down to preference). Garnish with a teaspoon of the remaining marinade and serve.

Chicken Gyoza

image courtesy of closetcooking.com

Another wonderful application for the glorious gyoza, chicken gyoza provides a wonderful snack for those who prefer white meats to seafood. As before they sit well in every setting, and are hearty enough to provide fulfillment in this filling snack.

You will need: (makes about 15)

50g chinese leaf
75g white cabbage
50g canned water chestnuts, drained
125g boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat, minced (can be food processed thigh meat)
15 g chives, finely chopped
25 g cornflour
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
pinch of salt & white pepper
15 gyoza wrappers
gyoza sauce (to serve)

put the chinese leaf, white cabbage and water chestnuts in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Using a tea towel, squeeze the mixture to remove excess moisture then combine in a bowl with the chicken, chives, cornflour, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper.

Place a teaspoon of the mixture in each gyoza wrapper, moisten the edge with a little water and seal the edge by folding over the gyoza skin. Repeat as necessary.


Put a teaspoon of the mixture into the centre of each gyoza wrapper. Moisten the edge of each wrapper then fold over and press the edges. You can crimp the edges if you wish, but this is optional.

Sear the gyoza in a pan in a small amount of vegetable oil until starting to brown, then sear the other side, but be sure not to crowd the pan. no more than 4 or 5 at a time. Take the pan off the heat, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan and cover immediately. Return to the heat for one more minute then allow to rest for about 2 minutes.

Serve with gyoza sauce, sweet chilli, or another sauce of your choice.

Ebi Gyoza (Prawn, sesame and soy sauce dumplings)

Image courtesy of closetcooking.com

Ebi gyoza are a fantastic party treat, and as with all gyoza they sit well with almost every setting. This recipe combines the use of earthy flavours such as soy and spinach, and overtones them with prawns to create a rather unique but loveable combination.

You will need: (makes about 15)

75g cooked and peeled prawns
70g canned water chestnuts, drained
1 spring onion trimmed
60g baby spinach leaves
5g cornflour
pinch of salt, sugar and white pepper
1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
15 gyoza wrappers

The doing bit

Combine prawns, water chestnuts and spring onions in a food processor and blitz to a uniform paste.
Wilt the spinach in boiling water, and be sure to drain well and squeeze out any excess moisture. Finely chop the spinach and mix into the prawn mixture along with all the dry ingredients, the sesame oil and oyster sauce. Mix well until a uniform paste is reached.

Put a teaspoon of the mixture into the centre of each gyoza wrapper. Moisten the edge of each wrapper then fold over and press the edges. You can crimp the edges if you wish, but this is optional.

Sear the gyoza in a pan in a small amount of vegetable oil until starting to brown, then sear the other side, but be sure not to crowd the pan. no more than 4 or 5 at a time. Take the pan off the heat, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan and cover immediately. Return to the heat for one more minute then allow to rest for about 2 minutes.

Serve with gyoza sauce, sweet chilli, or another sauce of your choice.

Gyoza (Cases)

Image courtesy of closetcooking.com

Gyoza are a wonderful side dish and are technically a type of dumpling. They can be pan fried or steamed and can have almost any filling. Usually served as a type of Japanese fast food, I first came across gyoza in the wagamama cookbook(which i'm currently working my way through, and continues to fascinate me). Although a favourite in Japan, gyoza are much like alot of Japanese fast food - which they have inherited from the Chinese styles of cooking. Regardless of their origin, they are a wonderful dish that are acceptable in many settings, including parties, functions and as an informal food for social occasions.

The focus in those recipes is to use prebought gyoza cases - this can be a major time saving factor, however if my research is anything to go by, gyoza are much better when home made. the comparison is made very much to manufactured vs. home made pasta - having a smooth and less papery texture.

This recipe is in volumed proportions (cups) so you can make as much or as little gyoza as you like. Bear in mind that using a standard "cup" measurement though this recipe will make about 40 gyoza cases. They can be chilled or frozen if stored correctly for later use, so consider it an investment to your larder.

Ingredients:

2 Cups of all purpose flour (strong bread flour will give a more doughy gyoza)
1/2 cup of boiling water
1/4 teaspoon salt

The doing bit:

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt and stir with chopsticks until well mixed. Add the water and stir together the dough until all the flour is mixed and forms a dough. When a uniform dough cover the mix with a damp cloth and leave to rest for about 45 mins to an hour.

Pull out dough and knead until a smooth consistency, then roll into a sausage / cylinder shape in cling film. At this point I usually use a greased sterile plastic pipe to form it and then pull out the dough.

using a sharp knife cut into 40 slices, then roll out each slice to a desired thickness, and use a 3 in pastry cutter to form the gyoza shape. Repeat as necessary.

Wrap the gyoza cases in cling film and store or freeze.

Use as necessary.

Kara-Age Sauce

This sauce is useful for a number of things - you can use it as a marinade for white meats or even as a glaze for noodles. You can also use in place of teriyake for a variation. The prime use for this sauce however is for marinading chicken for the use of the dish "kara-age" - a side dish which is a wonderful snack and can be eaten with various accompaniments such as noodles, steamed vegetables etc. It's also very good for small hot buffets.

(Makes a large batch so adjust accordingly)

1 in ginger root, peeled and grated
750ml (1.25 pints) light soy sauce
50ml Sake
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce

Combine all ingredients in a pan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool and store.