Salmon Roe Story...from Sujiko to Ikura to Donabe Ikura-don

Ikura-don: Home-marinated Ikura over Donabe Sushi Rice

It's already the beginning of the season for "sujiko" (salmon roe in a sack). As female salmon lay eggs in the fall, there are a lot of very pregnant salmon out there. The other morning, I was so thrilled to find a case full of freshly-harvested "sujiko". So, I picked up a nice fatty sack.

I decided to make soy-marinated ikura!

"Sujiko" to "Ikura" - First, I needed to take the individual salmon roe pieces of out the egg sack. Salmon roe in a egg sack is called, "sujiko", and when the roe is out of a sack, these individual egg pieces are called "ikura". This process requires a careful work. I found the metal grate, which comes with tagine-style donabe, "Fukkura-san", was perfect for this work! To get the "ikura" out of the sack, first, you find an open side of the sack and gently open it wider and push to the grate side. From one end, you gently push out the individual eggs by kind of rolling back and forth by hand. Make sure not to break the individual eggs. So, the patient gentle motion is very important.


Once you get the "ikura"out of the egg sack, stir the "ikura" with a gentle amount of salt by hand until the salt turns orange, then rinse in warm water (105F - 120F/ 40C - 50C degrees). You repeat the process for 2-3 times. Do not just rinse the unsalted "ikura" in water, as the skin would become too firm. Drain well.


Make the marinade sauce: In a small pan, combine the 1/4 cup (60 ml) sake and 2 tablespoons mirin, and boil once. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) tamari soy sauce (or regular soy sauce is okay, too), and let the mixture cool down. The sauce is enough for 8 oz - 10 oz (240 g - 300 g) of "ikura" to marinade. Pour a couple of table spoons of the sauce over the "ikura". Stir and drain once. Then, combine the ikura and the remaining sauce in a container. Let the "ikura" marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Drain.


That's it! Beautifully shiny soy-marinated "ikura" ("ikura no shoyu-zuke") is ready! It's great on its own  to pair with sake.


Or, you can make "Ikura-don" (salmon roe over rice)...one of my favorite way to eat "ikura"! I prepared Ikura-don with sushi rice (seasoned with Kyoto-style "awase-zu"), made with my double-lid donabe rice cooker, "Kamado-san". Once I made the sushi rice, I sprinkled some ground roasted sesame seeds, and covered the rice with generous amount of soy-marinated "ikura". Then, it was garnished with some thinly-sliced white bottom part of Tokyo negi (Japanese green onion), thinly-sliced shiso leaves, and wasabi paste. (You can find the sushi rice recipe in one of my previous posts here...but, this time, edamame was not added to the rice.)

My super happy donabe rice moment.

Happy donabe life.

Japanese Gravlax Chirashi Sushi with Donabe Rice

Japanese Gravlax Chirashi Sushi with Donabe Rice

With my umami-rich gravlax, I also like to make simple Gravlax Chirashi Sushi! 

I make sushi rice with my double-lid donabe rice cooker, "Kamado-san", and season the rice with my Kyoto-style "Awase-zu". Rice was mixed with edamame and topped with a layer of sliced gravlax. Really delicious.

Gravlax Chirashi Sushi

Ingredients: (5 servings)
2 rice cups (360 ml) short grain rice, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water
4 tablespoons Kyoto-style "Awase-zu" vinegar seasoning
3/4 cup (180 ml) shelled edamame
10 oz (300 g) salmon gravlax or smoked salmon, thinly-sliced
some roasted white sesame seeds
some thinly-sliced radish
some dill

Procedure:

1. In “Kamado-san”, combine the rice and water, and cook according to the basic plain rice instructions.
2. As soon as the rice finished resting and ready, pour in the "Awase-zu" and quickly and gently fluff the rice. Add the edamame and fluff again. Cover with just a top lid and let the rice cool down to slightly warm temperature.
3. Divide the rice into 5 plates. Cover the rice with the gravlax slices. Granish with sesame seeds, radish, and dill. Serve immediately.

*In the picture, I cooked partially-polished brown rice with some addition of multi-grains. So good.

Happy donabe life.

Summer "Harusame" Noodle Salad with Kyoto-style "Awase-zu"

Summer "Harusame" Noodle Salad with Kyoto-style "Awase-zu"

This is another super quick recipe by using Kyoto-style "Awase-zu" vinegar seasoning.
"Harusame" is Japanese bean thread noodles. You can use other types of bean thread noodles for this recipe.

When I make this dish for lunch, I simply mix in whatever I find in the fridge. Since I have corn and okra almost all the time during summer, they are my easy choices. But, you can make it with other kinds of vegetables or even seafood or meat, if you like.

Summer Harusame Noodle Salad

Ingredients: (1 serving)
2 oz (50 g) harusame noodles or other types of bean thread noodles
3 tablespoons Kyoto-style "Awase-zu" vinegar seasoning
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
5 medium-size okra, grilled and sliced in half
1/2 ear corn, grilled and kernels sliced
1 radish, thinly-sliced
some chopped cilantro
some black pepper

Procedure:

1. Cook harusame noodles according to its package instructions (I cook it slightly al dente). Rinse in cold water, drain well, and set aside. Cut the noodles if they are too long.
2. In a small cup, combine the "Awase-zu" and fish sauce.
3. In a bowl, combine the harusame noodles and "Awase-zu", and toss together. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss again.

Lovely quick lunch, with a side dish of tofu, topped with homemade natto.

Okinawa Mozuku Seaweed in "Awase-zu" Sauce...My Super Food

"Mozuku-su" with Grilled Okra and Shredded Mountain Yam

It's still much less known than wakame or hijiki in the US, but Mozuku Seaweed is a very popular type of seaweed in Japan. Originally from Okinawa, it's dark brown, extremely slimy and the flavor is quite neutral on its own. It's a versatile ingredient for a wide variety of dishes.


Especially in the summertime, Japanese people love to eat mozuku so much. The most popular way to eat is to serve it cold in a vinegar sauce (called "Mozuku-su"). I have cravings for "Mozuku-su" every day. It's so refreshing and tasty, and the big bonus is Mozuku is extremely healthy so-called Super Food!

Here in LA, luckily, we can find good quality mozuku at Japanese markets. The kind I buy is a package of fully-matured mozuku from Okinawa. You can use it right out of the package, so no rinsing or cutting is necessary.


Mozuku is very low in calories, and packed with amazing level of nutrients. It's high in fucoidan, amino acid, and fibers, and gives antioxidant effect. It works not only to help keeping your blood sugar level low but also to help your blood flow become smooth and lowering your cholesterol level. For the best effect, it's good to eat mozuku at the beginning of a meal. The slimy part of the mozuku is known to help strengthening your immune system cleaning intestine.

How I like to eat mozuku is very simple and easy. I simply eat it with a quick vinegar sauce I make with my homemade Kyoto-style "Awase-zu" and dashi stock. I also put some shredded mountain yam ("yamaimo") and grilled okra. So, they make a healthy slimy trio. With the vinegar sauce, it's keeps me extremely healthy in the hot summer season. Here's my recipe.

Mozuku-su
(Okinawa Mozuku Seaweed in "Awase-zu" Sauce)

Ingredients: (2 servings)
2/3C (160 ml) mozuku seaweed, ready to use
4 medium-size okra, grilled and sliced in half diagonally
some mountain yam ("yama-imo"), peeled and sliced into thin shreds
some thinly-sliced shiso leaves

("Awase-zu" Sauce)
3 tablespoons Kyoto-sytle "Awase-zu"
3 tablespoons dashi stock
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

Procedure:

1. Combine the ingredients for the sauce. Keep it chilled. Keep all the other ingredients chilled before assembling.
2. Divide the mozuku in 2 small bowls. Top each with okra, "yama-imo", and shiso leaves.
3. Pour the "Awase-zu" sauce.

"Awase-zu" Marinated White Peach and Summer Vegetable Salad

"Awase-zu" marinated peach with summer vegetables...power salad!

This salad has become a big hit at home and among home guests this summer.
After marinating (quick-pickling) peach and shallot in my Kyoto-style "Awase-zu", I make vinaigrette with it and olive oil. It's so delightful! Also, because "Awase-zu" is very mild in acidity, you need much less oil to mix with it to make a vinaigrette. So, the salad is filling yet really light.

Here's my recipe:

"Awase-zu" Marinated White Peach and Summer Vegetable Salad

Ingredients: (4 servings)
2 small-size ripe white peach, cut into wedges
1 shallot, thinly-sliced
2 tablespoons Kyoto-style "Awase-zu"
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
kernels from 1/2 grilled corn
8-10 medium-size okra, grilled and cut in half diagonally
a few leaves of red kale, cut and tenderized by hand
other leafy vegetables such as arugula and escarole
some small heirloom tomatoes
some dill
some roasted and crushed almonds
a few radishes, thinly-sliced
some feta cheese, crumbled
some dill
some mint

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, combine the "Awase-zu" and lemon juice with a pinch of salt. Add the peach and shallot. Cover and let them marinade for 15-30 minutes.
2. Remove the peach and set aside.
3. To the "Awase-zu" mixture, whisk in the olive oil. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. ("Awase-zu" vinaigrette)
4. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and add the "Awase-zu" vinaigrette. Toss and transfer to a serving plate.