Japanese Sushi
Ingredients:
Cooked octopus.
Cooked prawns.
Raw tuna.
Salmon.
Salmon caviar.
Japanese sticky rice.
Lava seaweed.
Wasabi.
Asparagus.
Shiitake mushrooms.
Directions:
Pour the cooked rice into a tray.
Finely slice the tuna and salmon.
Put the seaweed onto a sushi mat and press rice down onto it.
Slice the mushrooms and the pieces of asparagus and lay along the rice.
Add the wasabi.
Roll the sushi and cut into slices. Serve with salmon caviar, wasabi and soy.
Takoyaki (octopus balls)
Ingredients:
200g chopped boiled octopus
cooking oil
benishoga (pickled ginger) (to taste)
chopped negi (or scallions) (to taste)
tenkasu (or rice crispies) (to taste)
[Batter]:
450cc water
1 piece konbu (kelp), 10cm square
15g powdered katsuo-bushi (shaved dried bonito)
200g flour
2 eggs
[Sauce]:
commercial takoyaki sauce
or worcestershire sauce
or bulldog sauce
or mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellman's)
Cooking time: 10-20 minutes
Servings: 50-60 pieces (4-5 persons)
Directions - batter
1. Clean the konbu by wiping it lightly with a cloth.
2. Cut the konbu into 2-centimeter-wide partial strips against the grain, but don't cut all the way to the edge -- see illustration.
3. Add the water and konbu to a pot, and cook uncovered over a slow fire.
4. Just before the water starts to boil, remove the konbu from the pot. The liquid should be a light yellowish or greenish color.
5. Add shaved katsuobushi to the water as it starts to boil.
6. After the liquid has been boiling a minute or two, turn off the heat.
7. Quickly remove the shaved katsuobushi from the liquid with a filter or strainer or cloth. Try to remove the katsuobushi while it's still floating on the surface, before it has a chance to sink.
8. Allow the liquid to cool, then add the liquid, flour and eggs to a bowl and mix.
Directions - takoyaki
Make a small test batch of 4 or 5 takoyaki at first, to check the consistency of the batter. Add more flour or water as needed.
1. Oil the takoyaki pan.
2. Add pieces of chopped octopus to each cup.
3. Pour in the batter.
4. Add benishoga, negi and tenkasu to taste.
5. Cook the takoyaki pieces until they achieve the desired degree of firmness, turning them over frequently.
6. Remove from the pan and serve with sauce and/or mayonnaise.
