Start the Chicken Dashi (1L)
Season 600g chicken wings all over with the salt. Let the chicken marinate for 1 hour.

Start the Kombu and Bonito Dashi
Combine 2L water and about 20g kombu in a donabe or pot and let the kombu soak for 30 minutes.

Make the Kombu Dashi (1L)
Deja vu! In a bowl or pitcher, combine 1.3L (5 cups) water and 15g kombu. Cover and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours. Remove the kombu.

Back to the Kombu and Bonito Dashi (1.8L)
Set the donabe, uncovered, over medium heat. Just before the broth comes to a simmer (after about 20 to 25 minutes) remove the kombu. Then, quickly turn up the heat to bring to a simmer, immediately turn off the heat. Add 30g katsuobushi all at once. Wait until the katsuobushi settles in the bottom of the donabe, about 2 minutes. Strain into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve lined with a double layer of damn cheesecloth or thin fabric. Let the dashi strain by gravity or press very gently. Don’t press hard or squeeze as this will give a fishy taste to the dashi. Cool and keep in the fridge for a few days.

Over to the chicken
Pat the chicken dry (or rinse and pat dry if there is any blood) and combine with 1 tsp sea salt, 1 negi or 2 green onions (green part only), 1 knob of ginger sliced into 3-4 pieces, 6 black peppercorns, and 1.2L (5 cups) water in the donabe (or pot). Cover and set over medium-high heat. As soon as the broth starts to boil, turn down the heat to simmer. Skim as necessary. Cover again and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 15 minutes, or until the stock cools down (about 1 hour). Transfer the chicken wings to a bowl and save for another use. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve.

Make the Miso-Vinegar Dipping Sauce
Whisk together 1/3 cup red miso, 1 tbsp Saiko or sweet white miso, 2 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp raw brown sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1 clove garlic, finely grated, and 1 tsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger in a saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir constantly with a wooden spatula for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly thickened and shiny. Take off the heat and let it cool down completely. Store in an airtight container.

Set the salmon to cure
Rub 1tbsp sea salt all over 200g skin on salmon fillet. Wrap with two layers of plastic wrap. Place the salmon on a tray and place another flat bottomed tray on top of the fish. Place something that weighs t to 2.5 pounds on the top tray. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Make the rub for the shio-koji beef
Put 2 tbsp ground coffee, 1/2 tbsp paprika, 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard powder, 2 tbsp ground pepper, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp chili powder, and 2 tbsp aleppo pepper in a small container. Put on the lid and shake to combine. Store outside the fridge in a cool dark spot.

And the basil-shiso puree
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Blanch 1/2 cup loosely packed basil and 1/2 cup loosely packed shiso leaves for 3 seconds and transfer to the ice bath to cool. Drain and pat dry. Combine the leaves, 1/2 clove peeled garlic, 1 1/2 tbsp finely grated pecorino romano cheese, and a dab of shio-koji in a blender and puree until it resembles a chunky pesto, drizzling in 2-3 tbsp olive oil in a steady stream while blending. Store in the refrigerator.

Salmon and Hijiki Rice
SakeHijiki Gohan

Soak 1 tbsp hijiki in an ample amount of water for 30 minutes. Make sure you don’t oversoak it so it starts to degrade. Take the seaweed out of the water, leaving any grit behind, and rinse in a colander in cold water.

In the donabe, combine 450ml short grain rice with 400ml Kombu and Bonito dashi, 2 tbsp sake, and 2 tsp usukuchi shoyu, and 2 tsp sesame oil. Spread the rehydrated hijiki over the rice and lay the salted salmon over top. Cover with a layer of foil and the lid (or, if you have a double donabe, cover with both lids). Cook on high heat for 13 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest undisturbed for 20 minutes.

Uncover, peel off the salmon skin (and any bones) and gently fluff by breaking up the fish with a spatula until all the components are mixed thoroughly. Serve in individual bowls with a wedge of lemon and some chopped mixed herbs such as daikon sprouts, green onion, or mitsuba, and some red pepper flakes.

Crab and Napa Cabbage Soup

Heat 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil in the donabe over medium heat and sauté 3/4 tsp finely julienned ginger and 1/2 green onion, thinly sliced for a couple of minutes. Add 2-3 leaves medium green cabbage, cut into 1/2-inch strips, and 1 medium shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add 1 tbsp sake and 300ml Chicken Dashi and cover. As soon as the broth comes to a boil, turn down the heat to simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cabbage is very soft.

While the soup is simmering get the tofu ready. Cut 200g soft tofu into cubes.

Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp usukuchi shoyu. In a small bowl whisk 1/2 tbsp katakuriko (potato starch) with 3/4 tbsp water, and gradually stir the mixture into the broth. Stir until the broth is slightly thickened. Add 60g lump crabmeat and 30g spinach with the ends trimmed and leaves cut into 2-inch pieces. Gently add in the tofu.

As soon as the spinach is wilted, turn off the heat.

Serve with some sprinkles of black pepper, a splash of kurozu (black vinegar) and some La-yu (chile oil).

Steamed Yellowtail Shabu-Shabu and Orange Butter Rice
Buri no Mushi Shabu

To make the orange butter, cook 270ml short-grain white rice in a rice cooker. Using a paring knife or a peeler, slice off the zest from 1/2 an orange in long strips. Be sure not to get any of the white pith. Cut crosswise into very finely julienned pieces. Set aside.

Julienne 1 negi (or 3 green onions) and 150g daikon. Slice 225g yellowtail 1/4 inch thick. Prepare the donabe for steaming: fill the bowl up 70%. Line the steaming grate with the daikon. Cover and steam over upper medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the negi and spread over the daikon, followed by the fish. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the fish is medium rare. Don’t overcook the fish.

When the rice is cooked, add 1 1/2 tbsp butter, 1 1/2 tbsp usukuchi shoyu, and the orange zest. Gently fluff to combine. Serve with a crack of black pepper over top.

To serve, put 2 tbsp ponzu in little bowls for each person. Pick up the fish and vegetables and dip in the ponzu to enjoy. Serve with rice alongside. You can see from my photo I served it with noodles (after burning my rice) and some miso-soy vinaigrette.

Crab and Pork Shumai

Combine 90g lump crabmeat, 75g ground pork, 1/2 tbsp finely minced shallot, half a thinly sliced green onion, 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger, 1/2 tbsp sake, 1/2 tsp light shoyu, 3/4 tbsp potato starch, a pinch of salt, a pinch of brown sugar and a pinch of white pepper. Knead by hand until smooth. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Mound about 1 1/2 tbsp filling in the centre of a wonton wrapper. Gather up the edges of the wrapper, leaving the top of the filling open. Lightly squeeze the neck of the wrapper with your thumb and index finger to form pleats. Rub the bottom flat with your other hand. Set it on the tray and repeat the process with the remaining wrappers until the filling is gone. Cover with a damp paper towel until ready to cook. Don’t leave for more than 15-30 minutes or the bottoms will get soggy.

Line the surface of the steaming grate with lettuce, cabbage, or bean sprouts. Arrange the shumai on top, cover, and steam over upper medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through.

To serve, put soy sauce and rice vinegar on the table for people to mix to their taste. The standard ratio is 1.5:1 soy sauce to vinegar. Serve with karashi on the side.

This is meant to be part of a multicourse meal, but we had it for lunch with a bit of scallion noodles. It would be nice with some rice and/or a green salad too.