Baked Cod

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (or just a tad shy - might be my oven, but I get a better result) and line a baking pan with foil (this is simply to aid cleanup.)

Put the cod in a bowl along with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix it around to coat the cod.

Transfer cod to baking dish, squeeze half a lemon over it, garnish with a sprig of Italian parsley and a lemon slice. Bake for about 15 minutes - the rule is to allow 10 minutes per inch and fish is done when the flesh flakes and is opaque, yet still moist.

Satsumaimo Oven Fries

Pretty much the same as regular Sweet Potato Fries, only using the purple skinned Japanese sweet potatoes.

Oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Wedge the sweet potato and toss into sip-top bag along with oil and seasonings (salt/pepper - add what you like - remember that spicy compliments sweet ... cayenne would not go amiss!) and shake it around to coat evenly. Spread evenly on parchment and back 20-30 minutes, flipping once.

Satsumaimo Amani

• Japanese sweet potato (1/2 lb) in 1/2" slices
• 1.25 C dashi
• 1.5 T sugar
• 2 t soy sauce

Soak sweet potato slices in water for 10 minutes. Place slices and dashi in a pot over medium heat - bring to a boil. Add sugar and soy sauce and reduce to simmer - heat reduced to low. Put foil or a drop lid over potatoes, simmer on low for 20 minutes or until the liquid is almost gone. Makes 4 servings.

Tamagoyaki

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t mirin
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 t light soy sauce
• oil for cooking

Equipment:

• 8" non-stick frying pan
• heat resistant brush for spreading oil
• fork(s) and/or chopsticks to turn the egg
• sushi rolling mat

Heat the pan on medium-low and have a small bowl of oil and the brush at the ready. Beat all ingredients together - don't use a whisk otherwise it will get foamy, just use chopsticks or fork. Brush the heated pan with oil and put in 2-3 T of the egg mixture. Cook gently until nearly set on top (but not runny), then roll it up to one side of the pan. Brush the exposed pan with oil, add 2-3 more T of the egg mixture to pan (being sure to get some underneath the rolled layer!) Cook until nearly set and roll the whole thing (starting with the already rolled portion) to the other side of the pan. Keep repeating until you have used all of the egg.

Put tamagoyaki on moistened rolling mat, seam side down. Roll it tightly. You can eat it immediately or suspend the mat (allowing air to pass all around it) to cool it.

Or

Sous vide at 170 for 20 minutes

Stir-Fried Renkon (lotus root) with sesame and green onions

• 1/2 of thinly sliced (prepared) renkon/lotus root


• 1 piece of fresh ginger about 1" long, peeled and chopped


• 2 garlic cloves - peeled and chopped


• 1.5 C roughly chopped green onions


• 2 T finely chopped Red Hot Chili Peppers


• Oil


• 1 T sesame seeds


• Pepper


• 1.5 T soy sauce


• 1 t sesame oil

Heat oil in a large frying pan, then add ginger and garlic - stir until the oil is very fragrant. Add the lotus roots in a single layer and cook until they start to turn translucent looking - flip and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the chili peppers and green onions - stir fry - add sesame seeds, pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil. The lotus roots should carmelize a little from the soy sauce. Serve hot or cold!

Sushi Rice

Just follow Maki's directions!

But in short:

• Use dashi in place of the water needed to make the rice, then cook as normal


• Use 1/4 C of sushi vinegar for 4 cups of cooked rice


• Turn rice out into large bowl or platter, moisten paddle with vinegar and pour vinegar over the rice


• Fold the vinegar into the rice GENTLY while fanning the rice to help it cool quickly - let it cool to body temperature.

Inarizushi

The aburaage skins should have nice big air pockets inside - if not, before you de-oil, roll chopsticks over them to loosen them up and make them easier to fill. De-oil the skins by placing them in boiling water for a few minutes - wipe with paper towels to further de-oil. Yes. Do this. Seriously.

To prepare the aburaage:

• Cut 6 de-oiled aburaage in half to form 12 "bags"
• 1-1/3 C dashi
• 3 - 4 T sugar (to taste)
• 2 T sake
• 2 T mirin
• 3 - 4 T dark soy sauce (depending on how salty you want them)

Bring all ingredients except aburaage to a boil in a pan, lower heat to a simmer and add the aburaage. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the liquid had reduced by about half. Turn off the heat and let the skins cool in the liquid. They can be stored in the liquid for 2-3 days in the fridge. To use, squeeze out enough liquid so they are not drippy and fill with 1/3 - 1/2 C of sushi rice.