As summer soars, the tomato offers a lesson in staying bright and cool
The marinating liquid usually contains dashi, the foundation stock for so many Japanese dishes, but it can also be a simple concoction of soy sauce or commercial mentsuyu (noodle sauce). When the ingredients have been marinated in the liquid for a while, they soak up the flavors, making them really tasty. Ohitashi is one of the fundamental cooking methods in washoku; it's also healthy as the standard formula does not contain oil — you can adjust the amount of sodium by reducing the soy sauce.
Ohitashi is a great way to enjoy seasonal vegetables, from nanohana (flowerbuds of the rapeseed plant) in spring, okra in summer, mushrooms in fall and shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) and spinach in winter. The marinating liquid enhances the umami and sweetness inherent in the vegetables.
Tomatoes, which are now in season and packed with umami, are perfect for ohitashi. Peeling the tomatoes also helps the ohitashi liquid penetrate the fruit well. After marinating them, serve them well-chilled to make a wonderfully refreshing side dish in the hot months.
Tomatoes offer a delicious umami that is enhanced by "ohitashi," the process of marinating vegetables and fruit in an umami-rich liquid. |
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Serves 4 to 6
Prep and cook time: 30 minutes (does not include marinating and chilling time)
Ingredients:
1 10-centimeter square piece kombu seaweed
600 millimeters water
4 grams (a small packet) katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
50 millimeters mirin
50 millimeters soy sauce, preferably light soy sauce
6 medium-size very ripe tomatoes
Garnish
Grated ginger to taste
Shredded green shiso (perilla) leaves or flatleaf parsley to taste
Directions:
1. The night before, put the kombu in 600 ml of water, and let it soak in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Transfer the water and kombu into a pan and add the katsuobushi. Slowly bring the water to a simmer, turn off the heat and wait for the katsuobushi to sink to the bottom of the pan. Strain the liquid through a fine meshed colander, and clean the pan.
3. Return the strained liquid to the clean pan, and add the mirin and soy sauce. Heat the liquid and let it simmer gently for about five minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat.
4. Prepare a large bowl filled with ice water and set it aside. Remove the sepals from the tomatoes, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully drop the tomatoes into the pot and let them boil for 10 to 15 seconds, then take them out using a strainer and put them into the bowl of ice water. Peel off their skins.
5. Put the peeled tomatoes in a container, and pour the marinating liquid from Step 3 over them. Place a piece of paper towel on top of the tomatoes so that it soaks up the liquid and covers the top of the tomatoes. Close the container with a tight-fitting lid, and refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
6. Slice the tomatoes into wedges and place them on a chilled plate before pouring over some of the marinating liquid. Garnish with grated ginger and shredded green shiso leaves or flatleaf parsley. Serve the dish well chilled. The marinated tomatoes will keep refrigerated for up to three days.
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