Monday, March 02, 2009

re-creating

Remember this yaki-onigiri (grilled rice ball) that I had in Hokkaido?

Well, I tried to re-create it.

I bought a yaki-onigiri (grilled rice ball) from a yakitori (grilled chicken) shop in our shopping arcade.

I then combined 3 ladles of konbu/katsuo (kelp/bonito) stock with some 2 ladles of homemade soba tsuyu (buckwheat noodle sauce) (recipe to follow).

When it came to a boil I added some slurry to thicken the soup.

Then in a non-stick pan I heated some sliced enringi, red bell pepper and gobo.

Then I added the yaki-onigiri, ladled the soup and garnished with the veggies and some green onions.

The smokiness from the grilled rice ball matched with the soup and veggies. (I actually filled the bowl up with the rest of the soup after taking the photo.) The grilled rice ball was chewy but stayed together in the soup.

Soba/Udon Tsuyu
(soup for buckwheat noodles or wheat noodles) : serves 2


4 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
4 tablespoons sake (rice wine)
600 cc. (about 3 cups) dashi (I use a konbu/katsuo (kelp/bonito) blend)
40 cc. (about 1/4 cup) shoyu (soy sauce)
5 grams katsuo bushi (shaved bonito)

Put all ingredients except katsuo bushi into a pot and bring to a boil to let alchohol burn off.

Boil for about 5 minutes, lower heat and add katsuo bushi. Turn off heat.

Serve immediately over noodles or cool and keep in airtight container for several days.

NOTES: I am not too sure where I got the recipe for this soup, but it is really easy to make and better than buying the bottled stuff. I hope you like it. I can't believe it is almost a month ago that we were in Hokkaido!

Hope you have a good week!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good blog.
Portugal

K and S said...

Thanks Portugal!

Take care.
Kat

Kathy YL Chan said...

o wow! what a great idea! this looks especially comforting with all the heavy snow we're expected to get here in NYC tonight ^_^

Anonymous said...

Oooh, oishisou! I can just imagine snuggling up with my feet under the kotatsu while eating this. And I'm amazed at the variety of dishes and desserts you come up with nearly every day when you cook. Bravo and I hope your husband appreciates you!

K and S said...

I hope you like this Kathy! I heard about the snowstorms, keep warm!

Thanks Anon! very kind of you to say that.

Take care you two.
Kat

Anonymous said...

Love this post, it looks so good! And I always wondered what went into soba sauce, thanks for the recipe!

K and S said...

Thanks Lori, I hope you like the soup recipe :)

Take care.
Kat

KirkK said...

Hi Kat - Looks great.....I love the nutty flavor that the rice gets when you grill it.

K and S said...

Thanks Kirkk, I also like how it is kind of chewy-crunchy.

Take care.
Kat

Deb in Hawaii said...

Yum--it looks delicious! I love the smokey/chewy combo in the soup broth.

K and S said...

Thanks Deb, I hope to do this again.

Take care.
Kat