SALMON KELP ROLL

Another recipe from "Nobu Now" cookbook. Yes, it's another roll! check Here for the explaination if you don't already know why i've been making Japanese fares and why. This was one of our Sunday menu.

SALMON KELP ROLL
Recipe from Nobu Now Cookbook P. 36

Serves :2
½ sheet Shiroita Konbu kelp ( 5x8 inch) *
2 ounces boneless skinless salmon fillet
2 large shiso leaves
1 garlic clove, cut into 6 thin slices
1 stick yamagobo root, rolled and cut into slices about ½ inch thick.
½ ounce scallions chopped
daikon for garnish *2 T ponzu
1 head of an edible flower *

AMA-ZU (SWEET VINEGAR)
2 T rice vinegar
6 T granulated sugar
2 ½ t sea salt
PONZU
4 T soy sauce
8 T rice vinegar
2 T lemon juice
¾ inch square piece of konbu

1. Make the ama-zu by putting all the ingredients in a pan and warming through gently until the sugar dissolves. *
2. Prepare the kelp: heat the ama-zu in a pan until it is just about to boil (it should not reach boiling point), then add the kelp. Simmer gently for 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and leave it to cool at room temperature. *3. Peel off the skin of the salmon and cut the flesh into 6 thin slices about 1/8 inch thick.

4. Drain the kelp well and spread it out on a sheet of plastic wrap.* Place 4 salmon slices side by side and then the other slices across them side by side.

5. Over the salmon slices, arrange the 2 large shiso leaves, the slices of garlic, yamagobo and scallions. Roll up the kelp tightly into a cylinder.

6. Cut the roll across into 6 pieces and arrange them on a serving dish with daikon garnish in the middle. Pour some ponzu around the pieces and place the flower on the daikon.

Ponzu sauce – are available at Japanese/Asian markets.

yamagobo root - pickled burdock

Shiroita Kelp is the ingredient i had to substitute. Noble Fish didn't have this kind of kelp so i opted to buy Soy Wrap w/c to me is the closest to the kelp and i get to try something new as well.

***I skipped some steps since i didn't have the kelp.

This is like a very thin crepe. It comes w/ 5 different flavors.

Sashimi/Sushi Grade fish should be used for this particular dish.

Salmon

Shiso Leaves

Yamagobo (Picled Burdock)

Place salmon slices side by side. Over the salmon slices, arrange 2 shiso leaves, slices of garlic, yamagobo and scallions (i used chives). Roll up tightly into a cylinder.

Cut into pieces and arrange them on serving dish w/ some garnish. Daikon should have been a garnish for this but forgot to buy one so i garnished it w/ my cherry tomato. Pour some ponzu.

It was okay but will not be doing this again. I didn't like the pickled burdock (yamagobo). But the soy wrap, i will definitely be using them again great alternative for nori wrap. (Wink, Wink to Tina)

PAM'S SUSHI AND "SPIDER" TEMPURA

This is a continuation to the previous blog SHRIMP ROLL (SHRIMP OR PRAWN, SHITAKE MUSHROOMS, SHISO LEAVES
Part II of the Saturday dinner

These "Spider" Tempura was an after thought side dish. If you know me, you'll be surprised if i told you that i threw away the shrimp heads and shells. Nope, i made shrimp stock out of the shrimp shells including the heads. But this time i made some tempura using the heads aka "Spider" coz that's what they call it. Well, i'm sure you guys know why, i just don't want to elaborate and explain further!

I make my own batter, it's a combination of flour and cornstarch, water and S&P. I mixed them until i achieve a pancake consistency. Deep the shrimp heads into the batter then deep fry.

Pam made her special sushi. She made 2 kinds, one vegetarian and one w/ egg omelet

INGREDIENTS:
Nishiki rice
Mirin
Rice Wine Vinegar
Soy Sauce (Kikkoman)

Wasabe
Cucumber (julienne)
Carrots (julienne)
Avocado (julienne)
Japanese Spicy Mayo
Fish Roe (optional)
Egg Omelet
Nori (Seaweeds)

Pam's Sushi with eggs

Pam's version of California Roll sans the crab

It was a wonderful meal!!!

SHRIMP ROLL (SHRIMP OR PRAWN, SHITAKE MUSHROOMS, SHISO LEAVES)

I bought a new cookbook "Nobu Now" as a birthday gift to myself. As I peruse through the recipes, I see some familiar ingredients while some; I haven’t the slightest clue what those ingredients are. Some I’ve seen and heard but never ventured on using them nor tasted them.

Call it coincidence, Debbie, posted a blog on shiso leaves Cold-Smoked Herring Bouzushi (rod sushi)
and remembered Nobu had shiso on at least 6 of his recipes. I’ve seen shiso leaf graced my plate at fancy shmancy Japanese restaurant but thought it was just a garnish so I set it aside. Ever since Debbie posted her blog w/ shiso and Nobu had these in his recipes, I decided to give shiso a try.
I listed all the Japanese ingredients that I need for the recipes I planned on making and went to Noble Fish, a Japanese mini grocery store near my place. I got almost all the ingredients except for two. They didn’t have the Shiroita Kelp for the Salmon Kelp roll. I saw this colorful soy wrap and decided to use it instead of the kelp and pate’ brisque obviously I can’t buy them there but me being me I thought of experimenting, and used rice paper w/c I have in my pantry. I know, I know…I should have used egg roll wrapper or phyllo dough to substitute the pate’ brisque but hey, like I said I wanted to experiment and see if I could fry those rice papers.

Menu for that weekend were Shrimp Roll and Pam’s sushi for Saturday. Salmon Kelp Roll and a Debbie inspired shiso wrapped sushi for Sunday. Over all it was a success except for a few ingredients that I will not use on my next try.



I will be blogging all recipes separately so comeback and read all my new Japanese dishes. Okay?


Recipe from Nobu Now Cookbook p.57
Serves: 1
1 tiger prawn or large size shrimp
½ shitake mushroom
1 large shiso leaf
1 endive (chicory) leaf
1/ sheet pate brique or egg roll
a little yuzu kosho
2 T Maui Onion salsa
1 t caviar or fish roe (i used red onions)
cilantro


MAUI ONION SALSA

1 3/4 ounces finally chopped Maui Onion (i used red onions)
1 3/4 ounces finely chopped tomato
3 T Ponzu
1 t orange juice (i added the zest)
1/2 t hot chili sauce
Mix all the ingredients together.

1. Remove the shell, head and tail of the shrimp. Cut into the back of the shrimp with a knife, devein and slice through the meat lengthwise.

2. Cut the mushroom into ¼ inch slices. Cut the shiso leaf in half and the endive leaf into four.
3. Place on the sheet of pate brique the halved shrimp pieces, alternating the heads and tails. Put the shitake pieces on top and sprinkle w/ the yuzu ppper. Spread the halved shiso leaves over them and fold each side of the pastry over the filling, then roll up away from you.

4. Heat the oil for deep frying to a temperature of 355 degrees F. Deep fry the roll until golden brown. Drain.

5. Spoon the onion salsa into a cocktail glass and place in it the endive leaf and then fried roll. Top with the caviar or fish roe and cilantro.

Nobu’s note:
Eat the first bite of the roll with the caviar/roe and then the second bite onwards with the salsa.

Shiso Leaf – There are both red and green shiso leaves. The red ones (akaijiso) are mainly used to color umeboshi and other pickles. The green leaves (aojiso) have many uses as a herb, tempura and garnish. Although it is called perilla or beefsteak plant in English, shiso is actually a member of the mint family. Shiso buds are also used as a condiment, garnish and, when very young, for tempura.

PONZU- a citrus and soy sauce dip

Yuzu Kosho – Available from Japanese markets, this commercial seasoning comprises green chili, yuzu rind and salt.

Yuzu – Japanese citron- is zestier than lemons and not as sweet. Yuzu also has a very potent fragrance. It is used for both its acidic juice and its aromatic rind. Yuzu juice is now available from Asian supermarkets.

Ponzu

Yuzo Kosho - green chili, Yuzu rind and salt.
Yuzu - Japanese Citron is zestier than lemons and not as sweet.

Shiso leaves. I'm glad i could buy this at the Japanese store nearby. Something new that we like.

Shiso leaves - They are both red and green. The green (aojiso) have many uses as a herb, tempura and garnish. Is also called perilla or beefsteak plant in English. Shiso is actually a member of the mint family. Shiso buds are also used as a condiment, garnish and when very young, for tempura.

Assemble shrimp in the middle lower part of the sheet. Arrange shiso leaves, mushrooms on top of the shrimps then spread a little of the yuzo kosho. Then fold and roll.

Folding and rolling is so simple.

Shrimp and Shitake Mushroom Rolls in a row

A knock off plating from Nobu Now. Original plating had caviar instead of fish roe.

Shrimp roll w/ Onion Salsa, Shitake Mushrooms, Fish Roe and Endives. The combination of all the ingredients were perfect.

We love, love these rolls but will not use the rice paper again for frying. It's crispy when you serve them right away but became soggy after few minutes. I would suggest to use thin egg roll wrapper or phyllo dough if you can't find pate' brisque.

Will definitely make this again! Yum!