Authentic Japanese Cooking: Squid, Cucumber and Myoga with Kimizu Sauce

Dining with the Chef!

Hello and welcome to Dining with the chef!

I'm your host Yu Hayami, and here is our wonderful Chef Saito!

Hello Yu, hello everyone.

So chef, what are you going to teach us today?

Today, two salads with egg.

First, squid "sunomono" with beautiful yellow dressing.

Wow... that's made with egg york right?

Yeah right.

Okay, and what else are we going to be using along with the squid?

Today, we use cucumber and "myoga."

Oh, I love "myoga."

"Myoga" ginger adds a great crispiness and it has a beautiful aroma.

Yeah, important vegetable in Japanese cooking.

And what is our second dish?

Second dish, salad with "kiriboshi daikon."

Oh. I remember my grandmother used to make "kiriboshi daikon" dishes, so I have an image of it as been very traditional.

- Very traditional.
- I guess it's a foam of preserved food from Japan.

Today, we use it with mayonnaise.

- Mayonnaise!?
- Mayonnaise.

- Interesting! Really?
- Yeah.

Okay, I can't wait to try it! Shall we?

Yes, let's get started!

Japan is known for its bountiful fresh and delicious ingredients.

It's just amazing.

Japanese cuisine, guided by traditional culture that you will be able to prepare at home.

Perfect.

Today, two Japanese style salads.

Let's join Yu Hayami and become Chef Saito's chef apprentices.

Here's our Master Chef, Mr. Tatsuo Saito!

Always something fun with the chef!

Authentic Japanese cooking.

Okay, here's what's cooking today.

A refreshing salad with "kimizu," a golden sauce made, with egg yolks and rice vinegar.

Chef Saito will share a few traditional techniques, to make it look and taste incredible, including scoring the squid and drawing out excess moisture from the cucumber.

So today, we are going to start by preparing the squid, right?

Yes.

It's so thick.

It's in season now.

Here is our Chef's Technique!

Score the squid, making an pretty criss-cross pattern on the surface.

Tilt the blade away from you and make
diagonal cuts 1/3 of the way through.

The slits should be deep
rather than shallow.

Cut 1/3 of the way into the squid, to make slits that are about two millimeters apart.

Make sure to have the blade at an angle.

Scoring severs the muscle fibers, so that when heated, the squid curls up, like a flower.

It also tenderizes the squid, and makes it easier to coat with dressing, so it tastes better.

After scoring the entire surface, rotate 90 degrees.

- Repeat the process.
- And again, I see.

Score the surface, to make a crisscross pattern, tilting the blade, like you did before.

Make sure to do this properly.
The result will be worth it.

I see.

- Turn over.
- Oh...

Then, cut into bite-size pieces.

- Cut half way through to separate.
- Oh...

Since both sides have been scored, it's easy to tear it apart, along the fibers.

Careful not to cut, all the way through.

It willl come apart at the slits.

- Cut half way through and separate.
- I see.

This way, you can spread open
the scored sections like a flower.

Interesting.

When heated, the "flower" opens up.

And here's another clever technique.

So now, another Japanese traditional technique "sakairi."

Pour a small amount of sake into a saucepan and add the squid along with some salt, to season.

Place over medium heat and boil the squid, in the sake while stirring.

If you use three chopsticks, it is easier to stir and cook the squid evenly.

Boiling in sake will make the squid taste even better.

The squid takes on the taste of sake.
It matches the dressing perfectly.

Cook until it's no longer translucent.

But not too long right? Because its gonna harden.

But it won't. No no never.

What!?

- Why?
- Because you have cut diagonally.

That's why.

This is Japanese technique.

And also, we use the sake.

I see.

The sake also tenderizes the squid.

- It's opening up like a flower.
- Wow, it‘s so pretty. Like a flower.

After boiling in sake for about three minutes, the squid should be cooked through.

Drain thoroughly.

Now, for the vegetables.

Prep the cucumber, using a special Japanese technique.

Trim both ends and remove some of the bitter skin.

Place the cucumber in a tray, sprinkle with salt and rub the salt in.

So this is another very important technique in Japanese cooking, and what this does is that it takes waxiness from the skin and brings out the bright vivid green color.

Yes.

The salt scratches the surface and
removes the natural waxy coating.

This makes it easier to season.

This is very important.

Very important. Good to know.

Okay, so cucumber has a lot of moisture, too.

So,squeeze out well. It's also very important.

It's a very crucial step.

Rinse the cucumber in water to remove the salt.

Cut in half, lengthwise, and then cut diagonally, into thin slices.

Place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, mix, and set aside for 10 minutes.

This will draw out the excess moisture, through the process of osmosis.

After 10 minutes, see how much water is produced?

Oh, wow.

That's amazing, and it's only been about 10 minutes.

- It'll make the sauce watery.
- Right.

Rinse, to remove the salt.

And then squeeze.

Wow, you are squeezing so hard.

- This is very important.
- Okay.

Cucumbers are full of water, so
they taste better when drained.

Oh, wow.

You want to dress them in "kimizu" sauce,
so it's a must.

What's next?

Cut the "myoga."

Cut lengthwise in half and then cut diagonally, into two to three millimeters slices.

"Myoga" do not contain much water, so there's no need to rub them with salt.

"Myoga" ginger is an aromatic vegetable used in Japanese cooking, as a simple ingredient or as a flavorful addition to dishes like tofu or somen noodles.

And in the past episode, chef, you have taught us how to use "myoga" ginger with the pork stir fry.

Oh, that was delicious.

I just love the refreshing aroma and the crispiness they have.

- My favorite ingredients.
- Yes, me too.

Do try using "myoga!"

If you can't find it, try using onions,
ginger, or celery.

It's best to slice them thinly.

Now for the dressing.

First, make the all-important "dashi" broth with "kombu" and "katsuobushi" - skipjack shavings.

Gently wipe off any debris.

But be careful. The white powder is all "umami."

Pour water into a pot, add the "kombu," and place over medium high heat for 10 minutes, to draw out the "umami."

Bring to a boil and after about 30 seconds, remove the "kombu" and add water to stop the boiling.

Add the "katsuobushi" and bring to a gentle boil.

Simmer for 20 seconds while removing the surface residue.

Turn off the heat and allow the "katsuobushi" to settle.

Then, strain through a paper towel.

Now you have a wonderful clear, golden "dashi," full of "umami."

- Let's make the egg yolk dressing "kimizu."
- Okay I'm going to try it too, so we have 2 pots here.

This is "yusen."

Oh yes, "yusen."

Here is our Chef's technique.

Use a double boiler or bain marie to make the kimizu-egg yolk and vinegar sauce.

You'll need two pots, of different sizes.

Fill the larger pot with hot water and place a folded towel inside.

High heat will cause the egg yolks to
curdle so the sauce won't be smooth.

So keep the temperature at about
60℃ to slowly thicken the sauce.

Add the egg yolks, sugar, "mirin," "usukuchi" soy sauce, rice vinegar, "dashi," and salt, to the smaller pot and combine before placing in the hot water bath.

- Here, we use this "chasen."
- Oh, why do we use that?

Using a matcha whisk will give you
a smoother sauce.

It incorporates air very well so
it'll make the sauce frothy.

So, use it to mix everything together.

Now for the water bath.

Bring the larger pot to a boil.

Place the smaller pot in the water
to cook slowly while mixing.

This incorporates air so
the sauce will foam up.

If you stop mixing, the egg yolks
will set and form lumps.

- So, keep on mixing. You can feel the bottom thickening.
- Oh, I can see it.

- You, see?
- It's changing.

Once it starts to thicken, remove from the water bath and keep on mixing.

Mix until evenly blended.

Keep on mixing to avoid any lumps.

Return to the water bath.

Oh, I can see it thickening.

Once it starts to thicken, remove, mix evenly and replace in the water bath.

Repeat this process several times.

After about four minutes...

...it will reach this consistency.

- Okay.
- Wow.

- That's amazing.
- Very thick.

Then, spread out on a tray to cool.

Delicious!

It'll go well with everything.

Let it cool, to room temperature, and then refrigerate.

Okay now it's my turn.

Combine all the ingredients, in the smaller pot, before placing over heat.

If you don't have a matcha whisk, you can also do it this way.

- I'm going to use four chopsticks, right?
- Right.

Mix well.

Mix until the sugar is dissolved and place in the pot of boiling water and continue stirring.

It's not thickening yet.

- Not yet?
- Not yet.

But you can't keep your eyes off because it happens very quickly, right?

Very quickly.

- Scrape off the sides.
- Oh I'm gonna take it out.

Oh, I don't want it to turn into scrambled eggs.

Don't worry. Just keep on stirring.

- Here it comes!
- Oh. it's really thickening now.

Yeah, yeah yeah...

- Is it good?
- Yeah.

- Still still.
- Don't stop? Oh okay.

Wow, look! Now the color is turning into very glossy beautiful vivid yellow.

What do you think, chef? I think it's looking good.

- Keep mixing.
- Mixing.

Mixing mixing mixing...

A little more.

Remove from the water bath, as soon as it starts to thicken.

Mix and return to the bath.

Repeat this process several times.

- Do you think it's okay?
- It's okay.

Okay.

Empty into a tray and let it cool.

Beautiful color, very bright.

No lumps.

Perfect.

Oh, that's so good.

Wow... that's really good.

Okay, let's arrange to serve.

Yu tries her hand at plating, too.

Okay, Yu chan, I have an advice.

- To think about color balance.
- Yes.

What should I do? What is "sensei" going to do?

Well, he's not about to show his hand.

Okay, I guess maybe that's not the right way.

Chef Saito goes ahead, leaving Yu to come up with her own ideas.

Oh I know I have a good idea.

She coats each ingredient in sauce, before plating.

That looks so good. I love it.

Chef Saito arranges the squid and vegetables separately, and drizzles the sauce on top.

This dressing is wonderful Chef Saito, because it has no oil, very healthy.

Very healthy.

That's wonderful, okay.

Wow chef, your plating is beautiful. It really shows off everything.

Oh...

Yes.

Yu chan, mix.

I mixed it already because I thought its easier to eat, homestyle cooking.

Okay.

Very nice. So unique.

Okay and...

Finished!

Chef Saito uses traditional "kiriboshi daikon," shredded and dried daikon, to make an original salad.

For the dressing, he mixes mayonnaise and "dashi."

So we are using "kiriboshi daikon", dried shredded daikon which is common ingredient used in Japanese simmered dishes.

Yes. It's typically simmered with carrots
in soy sauce and "dashi." So tasty!

Drying concentrates the "daikon" flavor
and makes it crunchy.

It also allows it to absorb
seasonings well.

So in Japan, I guess it's very popular these days to make your own dried vegetables at home.

How can we make "kiriboshi daikon" at home?

Cut into thin strips and place on a sieve
to let the air circulate.

Dry in the shade for two or three days
to dehydrate and concentrate the flavor.

So, let's start making the "kiriboshi daikon" salad.

Here is a Chef's Tip.

Prep the "kiriboshi daikon," to make the most of its flavor!

Sprinkle with salt, add some water and massage the "kiriboshi daikon."

This removes the surface debris, and draws out the "aku" or impurities.

See how the color of the water has changed?

Removing the impurities will plump up
the "daikon" and improve the taste.

This step is very important.

Rinse and squeeze out the water.

Add the "kiriboshi daikon," to a pot of boiling water to reconstitute it, instead of soaking it in water.

This way is quicker and will
give you a nice crunch.

- It becomes paler, too.
- Ah yes.

After about two minutes, remove and drain thoroughly.

So what's next?

Prepare the broccoli and egg.

Cut the broccoli, into small florets, and boil in water with a pinch of salt.

Boil for one or two minutes, until they've turned a bright green, remove and plunge in cold water, to shock, then drain.

You may like your eggs soft, but this recipe, calls for hard-boiled eggs.

Boil for about 10 minutes.

Use a masher to crumble the eggs.

Our ingredients of salad are ready, so now we are just going to make the dressing which is mayonnaise based dressing right?

Yes, plus essence of Japanese cooking "mentsuyu."

Combine the umami-rich "dashi," "mirin," and soy sauce in a saucepan and bring to a light boil to make a delicious "mentsuyu."

Pour into a bowl to cool.

"Mentsuyu," is used as a dipping sauce for noodles like udon and soba.

But it's also used to simmer foods.

It's such a versatile sauce, rich in "umami," that goes well with mayonnaise, too.

Soak the "kiriboshi daikon," in the "mentsuyu."

- This is accent.
- Yes.

The "mentsuyu" boosts the flavor.

Okay.

- Now for the other ingredients. Let's mix.
- Okay.

Add the broccoli, crumbled eggs and mayonnaise, and mix well.

"Mentsuyu" and mayonnaise is a good combination.

- Mix well.
- Wow, that looks really good.

Season with salt and white pepper, to taste, and give it several more stirs and it's done.

Is it good, Chef?

Hmm this is good, yum yum yum, very healthy, and the texture is good.

I can imagine it's kind of crunchy.

Now, let's plate.

East meets West in this dish of "mentsuyu,"
mayonnaise, and broccoli.

Oh...

When using a dish with a pretty pattern,
you want to show it.

So, careful not to overcrowd the dish.

That way you can see the design.

And it's...

Finished!

Both dishes are ready to serve.

Eggs were used to make two very different Japanese style salads.

Today we have two beautiful dishes, both made with eggs.

Eggs are so versatile.

So one, we have a traditional dish using egg as a dressing.

Yes.

And the other one is Chef's original.

- Wonderful.
- Thank you.

Okay. So I'm going to try.

- "Kimizu."
- Okay.

So I mixed mine up. But, Chef, I really like the way you arranged yours, that's very beautiful.

Also, Yu chan very beautiful.

Oh, thank you.

Hmm.

That is such a flavorful bite.

The squid is very soft.

And because you taught us how to put the deep slits in them.

It picks up the egg dressing very well.

Very well.

And in the meantime, you have this super crunchiness from the cucumber, and the refreshing aroma from the "myoga" ginger.

What a beautiful dish this is.

"Aemono" is a mixed salad of ingredients
with different textures.

"Kimizu" goes well with
just about everything.

"Kimizu" is parfect.

And I loved how you taught us how to cook the squid using the...

- "Sakairi."
- "Sakairi" method.

Wow. That's amazing.

- Okay, I'm going to try the second dish.
- Okay.

Such a light flavor.

I mean it's so simple but it has so much flavor and it's so light.

Today, I used a double boiler for
the sauce and rubbed salt into dried radish.

Traditional techniques like these
improve both texture and flavor.

I hope you make use of them, too.

There's so much you can do with food.
The variations are limitless.

I hope you have fun
experimenting at home.

Well, thank you so much for teaching us, Chef Saito. Yes.

Are you going to try your own masterpiece?

Okay. My favorite "kimizu."

Let's review.

First, the squid and cucumber salad with "kimizu" sauce.

Score both sides of the squid, in a crisscross pattern, cut into bite-size pieces and boil in sake with a pinch of salt.

Drain.

Massage the cucumber with salt, cut into thin slices and rub with salt to draw out excess moisture.

Rinse and squeeze out.

Cut the "myoga," into shreds.

Combine the egg yolks with the seasonings and "dashi," then mix well before placing in a hot water bath.

Adjust the heat and continue whisking to prevent making any lumps.

Plate the salad ingredients, and, drizzle with "kimizu."

Next, the "kiriboshi daikon" and broccoli salad.

Massage the "kiriboshi daikon," in salt and water, and boil for a couple of minutes.

Boil the broccoli in water with a pinch of salt.

Crumble the hard-boiled eggs.

Soak the "kiriboshi daikon" in the "mentsuyu," add the other ingredients, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and mix well.

That's it! you are done.

Today some delicious and refreshing recipes, why not try them yourself.