Shunju - Takashi Sugimoto

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      1 egg yolk

      2 cups (500 ml) iced water

      2 cups (240 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, sifted and chilled

      Like bamboo shoots, sansai or mountain vegetables are a spring favorite, although some sansai are eaten in the fall. Many varieties of sansai are now cultivated but their flavor cannot compare to that of the wild varieties plucked from the mountain side, which have a distinct bitter taste (time is of essence though as these fresh vegetables become increasingly bitter as they oxidize). Although it is difficult to find sansai outside of Japan and Korea, you may substitute other bitter greens and vegetables such as dandelion, mustard, endives, scallion, and so forth. As tempura is time-consuming to fry, and tastes best when freshly deep-fried, many Japanese families make tempura at the dining table over a halogen tabletop range, or a portable gas stove.

      1 Remove any browned or discolored sections from the vegetables.

      2 To prepare the batter, beat the egg yolk thoroughly with the iced water. Add the chilled flour. Stir briefly with thick chopsticks, but do not mix to a smooth batter, as tempura batter should always contain lumps of flour. Place the bowl with the batter over a larger bowl filled with iced water to keep the batter cold.

      3 Pour the vegetable oil into a saucepan until it reaches 6 in (15 cm) in depth and heat to 325°F (160°C). Spread flour for dusting in a baking pan or a flat, shallow container. Lightly dust each vegetable with a coating of flour.

      4 Carefully dip in the batter and deep-fry. Turn the vegetables occasionally so that they are evenly fried. Once lightly browned and they float quickly to the surface when pushed down with chopsticks, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon. Gently shake above the pan to remove any excess oil and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with some natural sea salt.

      Spring starters

      Braised sea bream roe

      (Tai ko no fukume ni)

      1-in (2 1/2-cm) ginger, peeled

      1/2 cup (120 ml) katsuo dashi (bonito stock) (for preparation see page 248)

      2 teaspoons usukuchi shoyu (light soy sauce)

      2 teaspoons mirin

      Pinch natural sea salt

      3 oz (80 g) tal ko (sea bream roe)

      (prepare 1 day in advance)

      1 Thinly slice the ginger, then cut these slices into needle thin slivers.

      2 Combine the ginger, stock, light soy sauce, mirin, and salt in a low dish.

      3 Cut the sea bream roe across into 4 or 5 pieces and blanch in boiling water; they will "bloom " and become fluffy. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon and place in the combined broth. Leave to marinate for 1 day before serving.

      Welsh onion salad

      (Jako negi salada)

      4 teaspoons ponzu sauce (see page 57)

      4 teaspoons Korean virgin sesame oil

      4 teaspoons koikuchi shoyu (soy sauce)

      1/3 oz (10 g) jako (baby air-cured anchovies)

      20 stalks fugu negi (welsh or ciboule onion), substitute with green stalks of thin scallions (spring onions)

      1 Cut the welsh onions or scallions into 1 1/4-in (3-cm) lengths.

      2 Combine the ponzu sauce, sesame oil, and soy sauce to make the dressing.

      3 Toss the welsh onions or scallions with the dressing, arrange in a small bowl, and garnish with baby anchovies.

      As with all the starters for each season, the individual dishes can be substituted or improvised using leftover dishes or food materials. These starters are titbits that should be beautifully presented to start the conversation before dinner. The presentation is borrowed from the Buddhist monk's dining table in Korea. For the remaining spring starter recipes, see page 71.

      Blanched Japanese butterbur

      (Fuki no fukume ni)

      2 fuki (stalks Japanese butterbur), substitute with celery

      3 pinches natural sea salt

      2 teaspoons koikuchi shoyu (soy sauce)

      2 tablespoons katsuo dashi (bonito stock) (for preparation see page 248)

      2 teaspoons mirin

      (prepare 1 day in advance)

      1 Rub the butterbur with salt until it becomes more pliable.

      2 Bring some water to a boil in a saucepan, then add the butterbur and boil, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh in iced water. Peel off the thin outer skin.

      3 Combine the butterbur, sea salt, soy sauce, bonito stock, and mirin in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. When it reaches a boil, remove from heat and leave aside to cool. Cut the butterbur into 2-in (5-cm) pieces, then return to the broth and soak for 1 day before serving.

      Blanched water dropwort

      (Sen no ni oroshi)

      1/2 cup (120 ml) katsuo dashi (bonito stock) (for preparation see page 248)

      2 teaspoons usukuchi shoyu (light soy sauce)

      2 teaspoons mirin

      Pinch natural sea salt

      Few drops Korean virgin sesame oil

      5 oz (150 g) seri (water dropwort), substitute with watercress, washed

      (prepare 2-3 hours in advance)

      1 Bring some salted water to a boil in a saucepan and briefly blanch the dropwort ; then refresh in iced water. Cut across into 1-in (2 1/2-cm) lengths.

      2 Combine the stock, light soy sauce, mirin, salt, and sesame oil in a small bowl and add the water dropwort. Marinate 2-3 hours before serving.

      Rape Shoots Dressed with Mustard

      (Nano Hana No Kamshi Ae)

      10 stalks rape shoots (nano hana) substitute with broccoli

      1/3 oz (10 g) powdered Japanese mustard (wagarashi ko)

      2 teaspoons soy sauce (koikuchi)

      2 tablespoons bonito stock

      2 teaspoons mirin

      1 Wash the rape shoots thoroughly.

      2 Boil some water with salt in a saucepan, blanch the rape shoots until tender and refresh in ice water. Cut crosswise into about 4 sections.

      3 Combine all the ingredients to make the dressing.

      4 Toss the rape shoots with the dressing. Adjust the amount of mustard depending upon how spicy you like it.

      Green and lavender tofu squares

      Masu dofu

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