Tokyo Observations

More izakaya notes, not all of which I had the pleasure of going to.

• Horoyoi (Shibuya-ku): red felt tip pen circles mark the specials; simmered bamboo shoots, salt-grilled ayu sweetfish, yellowtail sashimi, raw hotaru ika firefly squid; horse mackerel sashimi straight from the tank; hot potato chips, Japanese-style German potatoes; julienned potatoes with spicy cod roe, foil-baked mushrooms.
• Maru (Shibuya-ku): green beans with sesame sauce, deep-fried tile fish (cooked with scales on).
• Saiki (Shibuya-ku): a Tokyo institution serving crab cream croquettes, squid and celery
• Shinsuke (Bunkyo-ku): working class pub; the only sake served is Ryozeki (sweet style, barrel version); raclette japanese-style; nuta, or mixture of blanched, thick green onions, udo stems, wakame seaweed and tuna cubes; mashed potato salad; tatsuta fried chicken.
• Yamariki Shinkan (Koto-ku): all about guts and stuff but refined dishes too; asparagus and pork tempura rolls, scallop & tomato, grilled whole surume squid.
• Hiro (Meguro-ku): a tiny place under the railway arches in Nakameguro; soy marinated daikon peels, miso-cured tofu; grilled chicken with ume paste, deep fried tofu with mushroom sauce; spaghetti vongole Japanese-style,
• Morimoto (Shibuya-ku): yakitori specialist, grilled eel, chicken sashimi
• Buchi (Shibuya-ku): a tachinomiya, or standing bar, a relative of the izakaya; sea urchin with scrambled eggs, char-grilled jamon iberico, udon noodles with sesame dipping sauce; famous for one-cup format sake, fried whole garlic with miso, tea-glazed walnuts, whitebait nam pla fritters, broccoli rabe and scallops sashimi in mustard dressing, sliced duck breast with ponzu sauce.
  

Feminine Bordeaux

Bordeaux tends not to be my first choice on a wine menu. The idea of feminine Bordeaux is something I really like though. Here is one such example, hopefully to be followed by more either from in or outside of Haut Medoc.

• Chateau Pichon Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande: Pauillac, 2001 (45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet France, 8% Petit Verdot)
• Chateau Peyrat-Fourthon: Haut Medoc, 2000 (55% cabernet sauvignon, 36% merlot, 5% cabernet franc, 4% petit verdot)
• Angelique de Monbousquet

My Best Shroom Salad

I'm still salivating over this. Loving it. Of course what makes the salad is Momofuku's octo vinaigrette and my home-made lime mayo. Best to use a meatier variety of mushrooms but avoid the usual white and chestnut mushrooms. Also avoid slicing the mushrooms, saute them whole because it looks prettier.

combination of mushrooms

2 tblsp chopped chives

1 tblsp chopped parsley

EVOO

maldon sea salt

dijon-based home-made mayo with squeeze of lime

octo vinaigrette

2 tblsp finely chopped garlic

2 tblsp finely chopped peeled ginger

1/4 tsp finely chopped red banana chile

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup light soy sauce

2 tblsp grapeseed/rapeseed oil

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1 1/2 tblsp sugar

freshly ground black pepper

1. prepare vinaigrette, preferably 48 hours in advance so that flavors blend; try to chop the ginger, chile and garlic into similar-sized tiny pieces.
2. prepare mayo on the day
3. toss mushrooms with EVOO and salt in a bowl
4. put pan on medium-high heat
5. saute the mushrooms in batches, do not crowd the pan
6. take mushrooms out, place on paper towels and repeat
7. when done, hopefully when mushrooms are still warm, toss with vinaigrette and herbs
8. serve on a plate with a dollop of mayo on the side

Radicchio Trevisano

Somehow the sherry vinegar and chives make this dish. I think one mustn't cut these beautiful chicory curls. Which probably means that that you should just eat them with your hands and crunch away like you would a raw carrot.

radicchio trevisano

best quality EVOO

maldon sea salt

ground pepper

sherry vinegar

puntarelle shoots

chopped chives

chopped parsley

1. make dressing using only minimal vinegar
2. slice the puntarelle shoots thinly, toss with the treviso, herbs and vinaigrette

Tonight's Dinner

One of those weekday dinners that just came together simply and beautifully.

• celeri remoulade & dressed crab
• egg linguine & cep butter
• radicchio Trevisano salad
• La Fermiere lemon yoghurt

Food & Drink Weaknesses

Things I like to stash away for quick fixes.

• Bendicks chocolate bittermints
• La Fermiere lemon yoghurt
• rice cake, cheddar cheese, green tabasco
• marmite cashews
• small glass bottles of Perrier
• Dr Pepper (1-2x per year)
• fresh-pressed pomegranate juice
• medjool dates
• gruyere with salt and pepper
• persimmons
• Japanese-style cheesecake
• Chinotto
• watermelon
• ginger-lemon tea
• buttered German rye bread and bologna

Santceloni Veal Shank

We had this a few years ago at Santi Santamaria's Santceloni in Madrid. I only recalled it a couple nights ago when I made a simpler recipe from the River Cafe using a whole veal shank. Serve with Robuchon mash.

1 suckling veal shank (about 1.5 kg)

2 onions

2 carrots

2 sprigs of thyme

1 head of garlic

250 ml white wine

3 liters veal stock (preferably home-made)

3 tblsp EVOO

1/2 calf's foot

100 gr butter

S&P

1. tie up the shank, season with S&P, brown in an oiled oven-proof casserole
2. add the chopped onions, carrots, garlic cloves and thyme and let sweat (be careful that the onions do not burn)
3. add the white wine, and once reduced, add 2 liters veal stock
4. cover the casserole and place in an 80 c oven for 7-8 hours, checking occasionally that the liquid has not evaporated
5. while the shank is cooking, slice and brown the calf's foot in the oven; reduce 1 liter of veal stock with the foot; add some thyme (the reduction should be very thick since it will be used to glaze the meat)
6. once the shank is tender, it is done
7. remove the shank from its cooking juice, pat dry and brown in butter and oil
8. place into a 220 c oven so that its color deepens and it becomes crispier; remove the string
9. glaze the shank with the veal stock reduction and return to the oven
10. repeat this process until the shank is nicely glazed
11. strain the cooking liquid from the shank, reduce to the desired consistency, whisk in a little butter and season

British Isles Oysters

A ranking of my favorite oysters from these parts as I can never remember their names! To be updated as I go along.

• Strangford Lough Rocks (Strangford Lough, Ireland): favorite at J Sheekey, and cheapest, well balanced
• Kingdom of Mourne Rocks (Carlingford Lough, Ireland): similar to fines de claire
• West Mersea Natives (Colchester, England): similar to Breton from Cancale

Sheekey Cobb

Inspiration from a J Sheekey Cobb salad. Quite underwhelming there, but confident that I can make major improvements on it with a better vinaigrette, better quality leaves and additional herbs.

quality leaves, on the firmer side

quality cooked peeled prawn, left whole without heads/tails

fried bacon rashers

cubed avocado, relatively large chunks

thinly sliced fennel

chopped parsley

chopped chives

chopped chervil

chopped in tarragon (not too much)

dijon vinaigrette with some creme fraiche and squeeze of lemon

1. make salads individually by assembling ingredients on each plate
2. drizzle vinaigrette

Ham Hock & Haricots Verts

Just made this and thought it was yummy. Since I didn't have much haricots verts, I sliced them into little pieces, providing a nice texture to the salad. Otherwise the best way to go is just best quality petits haricots verts with hamhock and the herbs. Using walnut oil instead of EVOO is also recommended.

cooked, shredded ham hock

mixed salad leaves (radicchio, frisee, mache)

haricots verts

dijon vinaigrette (walnut oil, rice wine & cider vinegar combo)

chopped chives, chervil, parsley

1. make vinaigrette
2. assemble salad with herbs and chopped haricots verts
3. serve salad on individual plate, toss shredded ham hock on top of salad

Espresso Fun

There are so many ways to enjoy espresso Italian style. Here are the ones I know of.

• affogato: gelato and espresso (plain and simple vanilla is best but a chestnut gelato or alcohol-based gelato also nice, i.e., marsala gelato)
• caffe alla nocciola: espresso with egg yolks and hazelnut
• bicerin: hot chocolate with espresso and cream
• caffe allo zabaione: espresso with custard

Bagna Cauda Light 2

Boca di Lupo also does a good bagna cauda, without butter and going the more traditional raw vegetable route. This recipe was provided by Kennedy's sous chef.

7-8 chopped garlic cloves

1-2 cups of whole milk

peel of a lemon

6-8 anchovies

EVOO

truffle oil

suggested vegetables

cardoons

celery

artichoke hearts

red peppers

fennel

puntarella bases

1. cut vegetables into attractive pieces and sizes
2. soak garlic in milk for a couple of hours
3. simmer garlic in milk on low heat in a bain marie for a couple more hours until garlic softens into a mush
4. add anchovies, let melt into sauce
5. slowly add EVOO, stirring in to emulsify; keep stirring otherwise will separate
6. grate the lemon into the sauce before serving
7. to serve, place in a bagna cauda contraption and serve with vegetables

Chestnut & Yam Potage

A great way to use leftover root vegetables. Make sure to include enough chestnuts so that their flavor dominates. Avoiding herbs also lets the chestnut taste shine through. A splash of rice wine vinegar at the very end lifts the flavors.

450 gr vacuum packed chestnuts

1 sweet potato or yam

2 small turnips

2 parsnips

1 celery stalk (inner stalk better)

1 carrot

2 red onions

1 banana shallot

a few garlic cloves

splash of white wine

EVOO

S&P

2 cups home-made broth (or organic cubes)

splash of rice wine (or white balsamic vinegar)

1. saute all the veggies in EVOO, season with S&P
2. let the bottom of the pan caramelize, deglaze with wine
3. add broth and let simmer 20 minutes; put in a blender and mix
4. if veloute desired, pass through a finer mesh sieve
5. season more if necessary, add some vinegar; ladel into heated bowls

Crab Claws & Yuzu Mayo

Luxury Russian king crab claws from the local commissary put to good use. Of course this yuzu mayo can go well with any sort of shell fish. Key to the flavors here is to have the Nobu ceviche sauce handy on the side to drizzle over the shell fish before dipping it into the mayo.

crab claws

best quality egg yolk

dijon mustard

rice vinegar

yuzu juice

maldon sea salt

ceviche sauce

2 tsp aji amarillo paste

1/2 cup (120 ml) lime juice (key lime if possible)

4 tsp yuzu juice (or 2 tsp each of juice from a tangerine and lemon)

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp garlic puree (mash garlic and salt with mortar & pestle)

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp maldon sea salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. boil crab claws 4-5 minutes
2. make yuzu may with listed ingredients
3. for the ceviche sauce, mix ingredients together (best to let infuse a few hours for flavors to build)