Рецепт Dreaming of sushi (or not so much)
Today’s rant is brought to you by Food ‘n Flix and this month’s feature, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. (Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla is hosting this month. You can read her announcement post HERE.)
I do not dream of sushi. In fact, I have never tried it. I can’t get past the fact that we live in a landlocked state, far away from the Pacific coast. If I am going to eat raw fish, I want it to be the freshest ever. Enough said. Until I book a trip to Japan, I will not eat it (Sam, I am).
I can talk all I want about being open-minded when it comes to food, but I really am not that adventurous. I am getting better and we did eat octopus for the first time at our Northern Italian cooking class.
I ate ceviche for the first time (and loved it) at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican dive here in town.
Sushi?
Not so much.
Then I watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I was taken aback by the artistry that is pure sushi. The title of this film can be taken quite literally, Jiro DOES dream of sushi and is obsessed to improve upon it.
Watching this octogenarian who has dedicated his life to the art of this one facet of Japanese cuisine caused me to pause. This art is his passion and his life’s work. He knows nothing else and I think he himself is a bit taken aback by the stir he has caused in the culinary world. Simply put, all he is doing is buying the very best ingredients, preparing them to the best of his ability, and continuing to improve and grow. He is doing what he loves.
Jiro rejuvenated me. He has prompted me to try Sushi as soon as I am able. (That and my eleven-year-old goddaughter who told me I was being ridiculous. “Sushi is delicious, Aunt Debra. You must get some!”)
For this post, I seriously thought about taking a sushi class to learn how to make this intriguing cuisine, but I ran out of time.
I doubt we will ever make it to Japan let alone dine at Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo. Besides, it would be difficult for us to rationalize $360 a piece for a meal—that is the beginning rate of perfect sushi at Jiro’s restaurant.
Instead, I went to one of my forgotten cookbooks, Asia: The Beautiful Cookbook, flipped to the Japanese section and picked a common Japanese street food: Yakitori (grilled chicken).
Here is my rendition.
Yakitori (Grilled Chicken)
Based on recipe from Asia: The Beautiful Cookbook
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, chopped into large cubes
- 1 lb. bonless chicken thighs, chopped into large cubes
- 1 farm fresh egg
- 2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 t. ginger paste (I used Gourmet Garden.)
- 1 t. fine sea salt
- 1 T. sugar
Place all ingredients in a food processor.
Process until very smooth.
Wet hands, and form into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Make the Yakitori sauce.
Yakitori Sauce
Based on recipe from Asia: The Beautiful Cookbook
1/2 c. sake
3/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 c. mirin*
2 T. sugar
Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan. Stir and bring to a boil, then remove immediately from the heat.
*I could find no mirin in our town. Instead, I turned this into a fusion sauce and used a Riesling. It was Kungfu Girl though. :)
Yakitori Skewers
1 red bell peper, seeded and chunked
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chunked
1 pkg. whole mushrooms
1 batch of Yakitori chicken meatballs (see above)
To make skewers, thread the meatballs onto bamboo skewers separated by pieces of peppers and mushrooms. (For a more authentic dish use canned quail eggs.)
Grill the skewers over glowing coals (hopefully in an authentic hibachi like we have) until half cooked. Brush with the yakitori sauce and return to the heat. Continue to grill and baste with the sauce until they are done. Do not over cook.
My meatballs flattened out while grilling. These are more like meat blobs.
(When I got home from the store I had grabbed two packages of chicken breast instead of one being thighs. My meatballs did not have enough fat in them and did NOT stick to the skewers very well. I ended up putting them on foil to grill.)
Certainly, this is not on the menu at Sukiyabashi Jiro. Certainly, Jiro would not even dare to put it there. But, it is my meager (and pedestrian) attempt to pay homage to a great Japanese master without having to make sushi (or eat it just yet). Finally, I think even a lowly Yakatori street vendor would be embarrassed at my attempt here. Please forgive me, Jiro and Food ‘n Flix fellow bloggers. :) I will strive to do better and take Jiro’s lessons to heart: Always do your very best. :)
The July flix is Monsoon Wedding and will be hosted by Heather at Girlichef. Please grab some popcorn, check it out, and post an inspired recipe.
P.S. Please remember Abigail today. I have no virtual flowers to send her today but I do have this surprise:
Yes, this is the Oscar Mayer “Weinermobile.” It drove right passed me. (I felt it was safer to take this picture from behind than try to take one of it as it passed me. I was driving btw.)
Hope this brings a smile to you today, Abby!
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