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, fluffy stir-fry with crab and egg.

Interesting. A stir-fry that's fluffy?! What's the secret?

Yeah, very fluffy. We use the whisked egg white.

Ah stir-fry with egg white.

Yes, fluffy egg white and crab. Very delicious.

Sounds great!

And good color. Green spinach color, and crab red, egg white and yellow...

Oh so beautiful.

Wonderful. And what else are we making today?

A dessert with tomato and sesame.

- A tomato and sesame?
- Tomato and sesame.

- For dessert?
- Dessert.

Interesting.

- So nutty sesame syrup.
- Okay.

And good with tomato.

Well I'm excited to learn, shall we?

Yes, let's get started.

Japan is known for its bountiful fresh and delicious ingredients.

Amazing!

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

Perfect.

Today, a fluffy egg and crab stir-fry with a tomato and sesame syrup dessert.

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.

Here's what's cooking today.

A stir-fry dish that combines the rich flavor of crab

with the contrasting textures of fluffy egg whites, crisp spinach, and crumbled egg yolks.

It's a striking palette of colors.

So where shall we start today, chef?

- Today, first cut the spinach.
- Okay.

So we use a lot of spinach in Japanese cooking.

Yes.

Popular dishes include spinach with
"dashi" and soy sauce or savory tofu paste.

It's one of main leafy greens
used in Japanese cooking.

First let's prepare the spinach.

Remove the tough, red ends and make a criss-cross incision to speed up the cooking process.

Wow. These spinach look very fresh.

Best season now.

Oh so winter is the season.

In winter and to spring.

So these little special techniques in preparing vegetables make a big difference.

- Big difference.
- Yes.

- So now I cut the spinach to 4 to 5 cm.
- Okay.

Okay.

Cut the stems into about 4 cm lengths.

- The leaves can be slightly longer.
- Right. Okay.

Because they're tender.

The stems take longer to cook, so separate the stems from the leaves.

Separating the leaves and stems
is a small but vital step.

- It makes a world of difference.
- Okay.

- Chef, is it okay if I put this down like this and cut it?
- Yes, okay.

And the reason why we do this is because it's hard?

- Yes. The root ends are hard, and lack flavor.
- Okay then we cut into criss-cross like this.

Separate the stems and leaves, and blanch in salted water.

Even though we are going stir-fry, we are going to boil it first?

Boil it first.

Blanching makes the flavor more uniform
and removes the slight bitterness.

We don't want the spinach to overcome
the delicate flavor of the dish.

Add salt to boiling water.

- And salt a lot.
- Yes, we use a lot of salt.

It enhances the color
and draws out the bitterness.

Add the stems first. They're tough
so they take longer to cook.

Add the stems and boil for 20 seconds.

- Spinach leaves cook in no time.
- That's so true.

20 seconds later...

- And then leaves.
- Okay and then we add the leaves.

- Wow. Look at that! The color is really nicely green.
- Very beautiful now.

We're going to stir-fry the spinach, so
a quick boil to fix the color will do.

- Okay, are we done then?
- Done.

Boil for about 30 seconds, and when the color is uniformly bright, plunge into ice water

to prevent further cooking with residual heat.

Check that it's chilled.

And then drain.

Okay.

Okay.

Then chill and drain thoroughly.

Okay, spinach is done.

So today we are using canned crab.

- Yes. Easy to eat any season, also any place, very easy.
- Yes.

I'm using canned crab because
the liquid is full of umami.

I see! So when we open it and use the crab, we have to make sure to save the juice of the crab.

- Okay.
- Yes.

- And separate the liquid and crab itself.
- Right.

Drain the crab meat and save the liquid to be used later.

So what's next?

Next, eggs.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. They will be cooked separately.

Beat the eggs.

Now there's a trick to using a whisk.

- Whisk in the same direction.
- Okay.

Don't over whisk.

- Whisk to soft peaks.
- Really?! That's hard.

So can we use a hand mixer?

A hand mixer.

When using a hand mixer, be careful not to overdo it.

Whip till soft peaks form.

- Start slow and gradually speed up.
- Oh really.

Hold the top lightly and
move your wrist sideways.

This way is much less tiring
than maintaining a firm grip.

Ah interesting.

So this is the fluffy part of our stir-fry.

Yeah. Very fluffy, yes.

Whisk until the egg whites
form soft peaks.

Once the whites become peaks, that slump over to the side when you hold up the whisk, that should be enough.

If the whites are too firm,
they'll be difficult to season.

- But if they're too soft, they'll still smell of eggs.
- How's that?

Oh perfect.

- You keep the egg yolk.
- Okay.

Okay, stir-fry the ingredients.

Heat a frying pan and coat with vegetable oil.

Stir-fry the spinach and season with salt and pepper.

Just a little bit.

- Salt and pepper to season.
- Yes, season.

Season the spinach.

Stir-fry until evenly seasoned.

And then...

- The crab liquid from the can.
- Liquid, okay.

Does it smell nice?

Wow, looks so good to eat now, chef.

It tastes good as is.

- Great flavor, crab flavor.
- Yes.

And then...

Remove the spinach.

So delicious.

Okay, so my turn.

So interesting, chef. Because you preboiled it, it's so fast.

Exactly.

Heat the oil and add the spinach.

So because it's already parboiled, why do we need to stir-fry in step?

Parboiling removes the bitterness and
brightens the color.

Stir-frying incorporates the
crab umami and seasonings.

Each step has a purpose.

- Small steps, big difference.
- I see.

And some pepper and then I add the crab?

- Crab.
- Okay.

Oh good sound.

This elevated it to another level.

- It's already full of crab flavor.
- Yes! That's perfect.

That's good.

Nice.

Yu's spinach looks nice too.

So now what?

Let's stir-fry the crab.

Add oil to a pan and place over medium heat.

Lightly stir-fry the crab meat, add sake, and simmer.

The sake enhances the flavor. But we
need to burn off the alcohol.

Now, add the crab meat and whipped egg whites.

Egg whites tend to deflate over time. If so, whip them again.

Whip the deflated egg whites back
into shape.

Okay. So fluff up a bit before we add it in the frying pan.

Okay, perfect.

Very fast. Don't miss it. Please watch.

Very fast, okay. Don't blink everyone. Keep an eye out.

Most of the liquid has been reduced.

That's when you add... White egg. Add white egg.

Wow.

- Okay.
- Okay.

And then...

Wow. Interesting.

Gently fold in the egg whites into the crab meat to keep them fluffy.

Continue until the egg whites
are half-cooked and then...

Low heat, add spinach.

Push the egg whites to the side and add the spinach.

Gently combine with a rubber spatula.

Cook carefully to avoid deflating the egg whites.

Try not to deflate the egg whites.

Very carefully, and gently.

Check to see that the egg whites
are cooked and set.

That looks delicious.

Plate it forming a mound.

Then re-arrange, balancing the colors.

Very fluffy.

Hmm very fluffy.

And finally, egg yolk.

Oh on top.

Top with an egg yolk, letting it drizzle down.

- And finished.
- Wow. That looks delicious.

I know the colors are beautiful.

- Okay.
- Okay, so it's my turn.

Okay, we add the crab.

First add the crab, then the sake, and burn off the alcohol.

Oh!

When you add that alcohol, you can just get a whiff of the crab, the aroma of the crab. It's very nice.

- You can use the white wine.
- Okay.

If you don't have any sake on hand, you can use white wine instead.

You can substitute canned scallops or tuna for the crab meat.

Once the sake is reduced to half, add the beaten egg whites.

Oh I'm so nervous about doing this.

- Okay and then very lightly I incorporate it, right?
- Yes.

Very gently, carefully.

But make sure to cook
the egg whites through.

So we fold the crab into the egg white, make sure that the egg white is cooked through.

- Right.
- Okay.

- And then we put it to the side.
- Okay.

And then we add the spinach.

- Yes.
- Okay.

And then, we incorporate it? Okay.

Oh this is gonna be hard because the spinach is very heavy.

Yes.

Okay.

- Oh yeah. I can feel the meringue, the egg white, becoming a little firmer.
- Firmer.

- Because the heat is going through.
- You know.

- And then it's okay? We're done, right?
- Good good good.

- Is it okay?
- Okay! Arrange to serve.

Plate and drizzle with egg yolk.

Wow.

Like so.

Maybe I just do this.

Nice arrange.

- Nice. Perfect.
- Great.

- And it's... Finished!
- Finished!

Now for a refreshing dessert of tangy tomato and sweet sesame syrup.

The rich and fragrant sesame sauce, boosts the flavor of the tomato.

So chef, this is a dessert dish, right?

- Dessert.
- Interesting.

- Making a delicious dessert using the umami and tartness.
- Oh yes.

- Of tomatoes.
- Ah interesting.

So with a little twist, the tomatoes can be enjoyed as desserts.

- Yes.
- Okay.

The heart of washoku makes the most of natural flavors.

So you are gonna bring out the natural flavors of the tomatoes.

- Yes.
- Okay.

Remove the stem and upper core of the tomato.

Make an X incision on the bottom, before blanching.

It's a quick and easy way to peel tomatoes.

Then place the tomatoes in boiling water and roll them around for about 30 seconds.

- See how the skin is starting to peel away?
- Yes.

Like so.

Place in ice water to chill.

And then peel.

That's so fun. I love doing that.

The surface of the peeled tomato is quite porous, so it absorbs the syrup more easily.

Okay.

- Beautiful.
- Beautiful.

Now cut tomatoes. Okay.

Make a horizontal cut a quarter
of the way from the bottom.

It's a dessert, so let's cut the
remaining tomato vertically in half.

Cutting both ways reveals
the intricate cross section.

Okay.

Done.

Okay, so what's next?

- Next make the sesame syrup.
- Oh I can't wait.

Stir fresh cream into the sesame paste a little at a time.

And then mix well.

That already looks delicious.

I think so.

And then syrup.

Today, we're using gum syrup, or sugar syrup, a liquid sweetener, often used in iced coffee or tea in Japan.

You can make your own by mixing sugar and water and heating it until the sugar is dissolved.

Very easy.

That's so easy. I can't believe that's going to be a dessert sauce.

Oh it smells wonderful.

Thank you.

So this syrup, sesame syrup, and any kind of fruits, you can use.

Strawberry, banana.

- Oh banana.
- Banana also.

- Okay, sesame syrup is done.
- Yay.

Nothing to it! Now, for the plating.

This plate.

That's so cute.

- First, the tomatoes.
- It's gonna be interesting.

I wanna see how you arrange the tomatoes.

Stagger them to show the cross sections.

- The vertical and horizontal cuts are different.
- That's so cute.

And then syrup, sesame syrup.

Oh that looks delicious.

Finally we use "kinako."

"Kinako."

Powder.

Mmm that's gonna be so good.

So this is "kinako" powder, soy bean flour, and it's a very traditional Japanese ingredient and it's made from roasted soy beans

which are grounded and it's delicious with rice cake mochi or really with anything, any dessert.

Sprinkle with "kinako" to complete the dish.

Beautiful.

Bon appétit.

Today's dishes are ready to serve.

Both dishes combine different textures and flavors, that are pleasant and surprising.

Chef, what a colorful meal we have today.

And everything was quite simple.

- Very quite simple.
- Yes.

It looks very fluffy.

- Very fluffy.
- Yes.

Wow. I'm just so amazed at the different techniques you used.

- Please.
- Okay.

So for those who don't really like egg yolk, or raw egg yolk, what can we use instead?

If you don't like raw eggs, scramble
the egg yolk and egg whites separately.

- That's a nice thing.
- Mix the egg whites and spinach.

Sprinkle with scrambled yolk.
Very pretty.

Mmm!

It's so light.

Yeah. So light.

It's so light, it's kind of like you are eating a cloud.

Oh but the egg whites, so delicious. Full of crab flavor, lots of umami.

And the spinach gives it a nice texture to it because everything is so fluffy.

And you know, for those who don't like raw eggs,

I can understand, but, it gives it that creamy, added texture, which is really nice and this would really go well with rice.

- Top on the rice.
- Yeah.

- It's just really nice.
- Some noodle together, it's okay.

Chef, I love the combination of the egg white and the crab.

Because I've had a similar dish, which is scrambled eggs and crab, but because it has the egg yolk in it, it draws out the crab flavor.

But the egg white, because it doesn't have a taste to it, it really soaks up all the umami and the richness from the crab.

Perfect explanation.

Yes. Thank you. Because it's really good.

So please try the tomatoes.

Yes. I'm going to try the tomatoes. Look, how beautiful.

Wow. Looks like a peach, almost.

- Tomatoes, not peach.
- Yes.

And let me try the sesame sauce first.

Oh it smells so nutty and wonderful.

Mmm.

Wow.

That is so good.

The cream makes it so rich in flavor.

Oh, I can't believe this would really go with tomatoes though.

Very surprised.

Very interesting. I think it's a really good dessert.

- Dessert? Yeah.
- Because tomato has a bit of tartness to it.

- So it goes really well with the sweetness of the "kinako."
- "Kinako."

Wow. Wow. This is wonderful, chef.

- Is this a traditional sauce in Japan, or is this a very modern sauce?
- Modern sauce.

That's amazing.

So this is a very nice dish to serve, maybe when guests come.

I'm going to make this at home a lot because it's so simple.

Thank you so much.

I added a twist to both dishes.

I whipped and cooked the eggs whites,
and drizzled the dish with raw egg yolk.

Subtle arrangements to boost the flavor
and add an element of surprise.

- That helps to keep the conversation flowing.
- That's true, yes.

Add an element of surprise and have fun
cooking and eating Japanese food.

Yes, I agree, chef.

I think today's dishes, you really were able to bring out the essence of the natural flavors,

and there's so much of a surprise element to it.

So it really makes eating fun.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you so much for teaching us.

Wow. This is wonderful, chef. You must try! Please.

Now, for a recap of today's dishes. First, the fluffy egg and crab stir-fry.

Chop the spinach.

Add the stems to boiling water first, and then the leaves.

Drain the spinach and stir-fry, adding the liquid from the canned crab.

Separate the egg yolks and whites.

And whip the whites to form soft peaks.

Stir-fry the crab meat, add the sake, and boil off the alcohol.

And fold in the fluffy egg whites.

Add the spinach and mix gently to avoid deflating the egg whites.

Then drizzle with egg yolk to serve.

Next, the tomato and sesame syrup dessert.

Make an X incision on the tomato, blanch and peel.

Cut to show off the pretty cross-section.

Combine the sesame paste, fresh cream, and sugar syrup.

Then drizzle over the tomatoes to serve, completing this wonderful dessert.

Enjoy preparing these colorful and delicious recipes you've made yourself!