Latest news with #AkihikoMurata
Yomiuri Shimbun
20-07-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Chicken Namban-Zuke Ideal for Humid Days; Recipe Uses Ume Plum for Refreshing Taste
On humid days, the true value of a refreshing flavor becomes apparent. Akihiko Murata, the owner of a Japanese restaurant, suggests making chicken nambanzuke with pickled ume plum. The rich vegetable-filled dish has a satisfyingly meaty flavor and is the perfect meal to revive a flagging appetite. When people in Japan think of nambanzuke, a fried and marinated dish, they typically think of deep-fried aji mackerel. For Murata, it is as basic dish as nikujaga meat and potatoes. As a change for this dish, Murata uses grilled chicken thighs. 'You can deep-fry it, of course, but grilling makes it even more refreshing. It's also easier to prepare, so I recommend it,' he said. If you choose chicken tenderloin or chicken breast, the flavor will be even lighter. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper, then coat it with rice flour. This results in a lighter texture than using wheat flour or potato starch. It is a small touch that enhances the 'refreshing' feel. Once in the pan, brown the skin thoroughly. It will improve the appearance and the savory aroma it produces will also improve the flavor. You can also use a wide variety of vegetables. This time, Murata used onions and myoga ginger, but you could also add bell peppers, carrots or cucumbers. Letting your creativity guide the final colors of the dish can make cooking even more enjoyable, beyond just taste and texture. For the sauce, in addition to vinegar and other ingredients, pickled ume plum paste is also added. Simply combine the chicken, vegetables and sauce in a bowl. For more richness, add the flavorful fat and juices that are produced from grilling the chicken. For the flavors to meld, it is best to let the dish sit for about an hour. However, since the chicken is already seasoned, the dish is delicious even when eaten immediately after mixing. The onions and myoga retain a delightful crispness, giving the dish an almost salad-like quality. The plum paste, which appears occasionally, also provides a tangy note. 'It is also delicious when left in the refrigerator overnight,' Murata said. You can prepare it quickly and then let time work in your favor. I realized that part of nambanzuke's appeal is enjoying these changes in flavor. Chicken nambanzuke with pickled ume plum Ingredients (serves 2-3): 300 grams chicken thigh 1/2 onion 2 myoga ginger buds 10 grams ginger 5 green shiso leaves 1 heaping tbsp rice flour 4 tbsp dashi stock 2 pickled ume plums 1/2 dried chili pepperDirections: 1. Thinly slice the onion and finely chop the myoga. Cut the ginger and shiso into thin strips and place all in a bowl. 2. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place them on a tray. Sprinkle with two pinches of salt and black pepper each then let them absorb the flavors. Then, coat them thoroughly with rice flour. 3. Prepare the sauce. In a separate bowl, mix together dashi stock, 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of mirin, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Remove the pits from the ume plums, chop them into a coarse paste, and add it to the bowl. Mix well, then add the dried chili pepper. 4. Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a frying pan. Place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and cook for 6 minutes. Once browned, flip it over and cook for an additional 3 minutes 30 seconds. 5. Pour the sauce into the bowl containing the ingredients from Step 1 and mix lightly. Add the grilled chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about an hour. Serve on a plate. The Yomiuri ShimbunDust the chicken all over with rice Yomiuri ShimbunMix the pickled plum paste into the seasoning Yomiuri ShimbunPlace the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and Yomiuri ShimbunToss the grilled chicken with the nambanzuke sauce.
Yomiuri Shimbun
22-06-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
How to Turn Japanese Rolled Omelet into a Fluffy Sandwich
Dashimaki rolled omelet is a popular Japanese dish. Chef and owner of a Japanese restaurant, Akihiko Murata, has made this fluffy omelet into a sandwich. The yellow filling is thicker than the bread and a feast for the eyes. This dashimaki sandwich was born when a customer asked Murata to whip up something to take home. Murata's trick is to add a mixture of potato starch and water to the egg mixture. 'Dashimaki is high in water content. Potato starch keeps the liquid from seeping into the bread over time,' he said. Honey is another ingredient in this version that is not typically used in the dashimaki served at his restaurant. The gentle sweetness pairs well with the butter, mustard and mayonnaise spread on the preparing three types of egg mixture, he poured each into the pan in four batches, and flipping slightly earlier than normal dashimaki to avoid overcooking. Flipping deftly with your wrist may need some practice, but a spatula will help. 'Even if you can't roll it well, you can make it up by shaping later with a makisu [bamboo rolling mat],' Murata said. 'I wasn't good at first.' Once the dashimaki is sandwiched between the slices of bread, it is wrapped in plastic wrap and left to rest for a while. 'The idea is to let the bread and filling come together. This makes the bread moist and easier to cut,' he said. It can be eaten whole or cut into bite-sized pieces. When the dashimaki is thicker than the bread it has a satisfying volume but a surprisingly light taste thanks to its fluffy texture. The nori version with cheese is appealing to children. The dashimaki omelet can be served with such ingredients as tuna or benishoga red pickled ginger as well. Dashimaki sandwich Ingredients (serves 2 to 4): 6 slices bread (from an 8-slice loaf) 9 eggs 270 milliliters dashi broth 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp honey 10 grams chopped Chinese chives 2 sheets of roasted nori (9 by 5 centimeters) 20 grams whole-grain mustard 20 grams butter 1 slice cheeseDirections: 1. Make egg mixture. Beat eggs in a bowl and add dashi broth, light soy sauce and honey. Dissolve 1/2 tablespoon of potato starch in an equal amount of water, add to the egg mixture and stir. 2. Prepare two additional bowls and divide the egg mixture into three equal portions. Leave one bowl plain. Add Chinese chives into the other bowl. Rip the nori into small pieces and put them in the last bowl. Mix lightly.3. In a small bowl, mix whole-grain mustard and 30 grams of mayonnaise. 4. Lay bread slices on a cutting board, spread with butter and the mayonnaise mixture. 5. Oil an omelet pan about 18 centimeters long and 14 centimeters wide. Pour in 1/4 of the egg mixture. Let set and then roll the cooked egg to a little before the middle of the pan to create the shape. Pour in the next 1/4 batch of egg in the remaining area. Repeat until all the mixture is used. For the nori mixture, place the cheese slice on the egg mixture before making the second roll.6. Shape the omelets with a bamboo rolling mat. 7. Sandwich each omelet between slices of bread, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for about a minute. 8. Remove the wrap, cut into desired sizes and place on a plate. Garnish with yamagobo pickle if desired.
Yomiuri Shimbun
18-05-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Beef, Bamboo Combine in Simple, Simmered Dish; Less Than 10 Minutes for Meal Embodying Freshness of Spring
The Yomiuri Shimbun Beef simmered with wakatake-ni. Wakatake-ni, a dish made with bamboo shoots and seasonal wakame seaweed, is a treat bursting with the freshness of spring. Akihiko Murata, owner of a Japanese restaurant, adds beef to this popular dish to increase its richness. I found the dish to be both elegant and energizing. Bamboo shoots, which have a pleasant texture and a distinctive mild aroma, are an invaluable ingredient for Murata at his restaurant this time of year. The gyuniku no wakatake-ni (wakatake-ni with beef) is often served at the end of a multicourse meal at his restaurant. Making the dish is simple. Cut up the ingredients, add to the dashi broth in order and simmer. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes. The important thing is to bring out the individual flavor of each ingredient. 'The umami of the wakame and beef can add depth to dishes. But in this dish, the umami should not be transferred to the bamboo shoots,' Murata said. I think the cooking method employed in this dish is somewhere between taki-awase, in which ingredients are cooked separately and served in the same bowl, and nimono, in which the flavors of the ingredients are mixed by cooking them together. Murata started cooking by simmering the bamboo shoots. The bamboo shoots almost seemed to be swimming in the dashi. 'In Japanese cooking, ingredients are simmered in plenty of dashi,' Murata said. 'If there is not enough dashi, it tends to simmer down and the dish's flavor will lack consistency.' Simmering in a large amount of dashi may seem a bit wasteful for home cooking, but 'you can boil vegetables, such as spinach and komatsuna [Japanese mustard spinach], in the leftover dashi. It makes a great side dish,' Murata said. He then added wakame, and then beef and fuki Japanese butterbur, simmering all the while. The intervals between adding each ingredient are short, so using a clock to time it can help avoid mistakes. The temperature will drop slightly after adding the beef, so increase the heat to compensate. The scum from the beef does not need to be carefully skimmed off, except for any big lumps that form. I was served the freshly cooked dish. The bamboo shoots had a pleasant crunch. Its light aroma and sweetness spread throughout my mouth. The richly flavored beef was satisfying. The Japanese butterbur was slightly crunchy, refreshing my palate. The natural flavors of the ingredients were brought out effectively by letting them soak up just the right amount of dashi. This dish would go well with both sake and rice. Wakatake-ni with beef Ingredients (serves 2):
