dancing katsuobushi 17 April 2012 by DM
During the last few years London has seen a drought of epic proportions.
Due to some nonsensical EU legislation possibly THE most important ingredient we know, love and depend on was banned from entering the UK .
Without a suitable alternative chefs from Japanese restaurants across the capital have taken the law into their own hands. 
We’ve been forced into a life of crime, thrown into an underworld of smuggling, dealing, and black market trading, we have become desperados.
Chefs have stopped at absolutely nothing to get hold of it, stories of illegal round-the-world boat trips, bribed JAL cabin crew and even a rumour of one yakitori chef who flew back from Tokyo with it stuffed into his children’s soft toys [COUGH ahem],
When It has found its way into the country its been traded on back doors of restaurants, stolen, gambled with, even talk of one chef losing fingers in a yakuza style hit for simply trying to protect his stash.
I’m talking about Katsuobushi
Nicknamed Odoru [dancing] Katsuobushi for the erie performance it makes when sprinkled on a warm plate of yakisoba or okonomiyaki, it is basically dried bonito [skipjack tuna].
To keep it simple The bonito is simmered for an hour, deboned and then smoked for 2-4 weeks. A natural mould is then added and it is left to dry in the sun – [ a more detailed description is here] this process as you can imagine completely transforms the appearance and more importantly the flavour
These small blocks are then shaved into ‘wood shavings’ maximising surface area and allowing flavour extraction – GENIUS
Its jam-packed with inosinic acid which gives intense umami, adding complexity and depth to anything in its path, Most importantly for chefs its at the base of every good Dashi – the foundation stock that so many Japanese restaurants depend on.
It’s dynamite on a salad, even a simple sliced tomato or humble plate of tofu succumb to its magical powers and slowly but surely its creeping onto the international fine dining scene.
Fortunately for the chefs such as us the bloodshed is over.
A month ago a rumour was circulated that one of Tsukiji markets most famous producers and shrewd business man, Mr Wada was setting up a factory in a north London ghetto called Enfield.
Familiar with this particularly un-glamorous part of London it didn’t take me long to track him down.
Seems Wadasan, A.K.A Mr Bonito, had been alerted to the UK famine and decided to do something about it. He had contacts in Top Japanese supply company over here called Tazaki foods.
Together they recruited and trained a crack team of food mad, bearded scientists and with state of the art equipment imported from Japan they began to shave.
Wadasan – a stickler for quality, oversees the whole operation himself during his regular visits. He imports the fish from the clean waters off Vietnam, where he also spends time developing the cooking and drying process.
Wadasan himself is amazed at the quality of the British product, he told me that while over here he eats it sprinkled on mozzarella every day for breakfast.
Believe that or not but by all accounts the British product its is every bit as good as the Japanese version. [well come on, they're never going to say its better] and it looks like its here to stay.
need more info ? – Essential reading Dashi and Umami the heart of Japanese cuisine
onsen tamago – the return of the perfect egg 2 November 2011 by DM
‘The Japanese ability to do the simple things better than anyone else stops short at poaching eggs, absurdly the yolk seemed more cooked than the white rendering it silky and sickly in equal measures’ ‘impossible chopstick fodder’ -an un-named national restaurant critic [second from left] giving us a slapping back in 2008.
The offending eggs were removed from the menu.
In Japan the hot spring [onsen] ryokans are without doubt some of the best places to find the real regional food of Japan. It’s their version of cuisine de terroir, super fresh local ingredients cooked simply with a meticulous attention to detail.
As I sat in one such onsen, at one with the beautiful frozen landscape, naked except for a napkin on my head and with just a flask of hot sake for company, a hunched little old lady reached over my shoulder and pulled a basket of these glimmering white eggs from under my leg. My onsen tamago virginity was about to be broken
Later that night I got the chance to try one, served simply in a delicate chilled suimono broth with a few fresh shavings of bonito and some local mountain herbs it was a revelation. Its custardy texture and thick creamy yolk was like nothing I had eaten before, it really was the perfect egg. No trickery, just an total understanding of the ingredient and temperature.
Back in Tokyo they became an obsession, I hunted them down wherever and whenever, in bowls of ramen, in a back street noodle bars, dished up at lunchtime in gyu-don bowls or used as a yakitori dip in upmarket gaffs like Gonpachi, I would never pass up the opportunity to see their potential.
I couldn’t wait to try them out in London.
Fortunately since 2008 things in the west have changed, whether it was David Chang dropping them down at Momofuku, Helen Marie Arzak doing the cling film thing in San Sebastian or one of the countless Japanese restaurants that have been doing this for years, the onsen tamago or ‘slow cooked egg’ has finally been accepted and is here to stay.
There are many techniques to re-create this Japanese phenomenon at home, some say cooking in rice cookers, others argue running under a hot tap for an hour, some chefs I know even bath with them.
Restaurants like us have to resort to technology to achieve perfection but don’t be put off trying this at home. If you have a thermometer a steady temprature just shy of 63 degrees for an hour will never fail. There is an easier way of dropping them into a few inches of boiling water, then immediately removing the pan from heat for 15 minutes will also work – check this .
If you can’t be bothered with all of this then you know where we are.
The Onsen tamago is back and appearing at a yakitori joint near you from November.
the miso pig’s head 2 October 2011 by DM
No dish has captured the imagination amongst our regulars quite like this one.
Since it’s debut as a special just a few months ago it has gained a cult like following and has singularly become the most requested off menu item we do.
First conceived for a group of adventurous Japanese salarymen, improved for some local offal nuts and then perfected for a friendly food blogger it has since become a habitual feature on our specials board.
It’s basically an adaptation of the classic Izakaya staple motsu nikomi, a hearty stew of braised pigs tripe and vegetables in a rich miso broth, a dish that really highlights the natural affinity between offal and miso – Our take on it, using all the different tastes and textures of a pigs head lifts it to another level.
I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve been asked for this recipe so time to share, in all its gory glory.
The Miso Pigs Head
First things first, hair removal – not a pleasant job but essential. Use a blow torch to singe the hair then follow up by scraping off with an old sharp knife. The odour of torched flesh and burn’t hair isn’t everybody’s cup of tea – open a window before you start. [Caution! this smell can really worry your neighbours]
Now time to de-bone the head
Cut the ears off then take a sharp knife and make an incision from the nose all the way up the snout over to the back of the head. Slip your knife under the skin on one side to create a flap.
Now whilst working the knife against the skull just peel the flesh away paying particular attention to the meaty parts of temple, snout and cheeks. Continue this all the way down until it comes off then repeat on the other side.
You should end up with something like this
Now the gory bits over – let the kids back into the room, its time to make a brine.
2 litres of water, 300gms of sea salt. 200gms of sugar, an unpeeled, sliced knob of ginger, a stick of cinnamon, 3 star anise and six peppercorns.
Bring all ingredients to a simmer, stir to dissolve all the sugar and salt then allow to cool. Pop in your head [the pig's head that is] and leave for two days.
Brinings not a big thing in Japan and is not essential if your in a hurry. I recommend it because it firms up the flesh, provides a deep penetrative seasoning and most importantly reduces moister loss in the final stage.
Take the head, rinse under cold water then bring to boil in clean water, removing scum as it appears on the surface. Simmer for 15 minutes then drain and allow to cool. Cut into bite sized chunks. you can remove unwanted fatty parts at this stage if you want.
The next bit is basically a take on the classic motsu nikomi recipe – no exact amounts or timings here, all very much to taste.
Gently sweat finely chopped ginger in a drop of sunflower oil until it becomes fragrant, add the chunks of pigs head and continue to sweat to impart flavour, next add bite size pieces of carrot, and slices of lotus root and continue to cook over a very low heat for a few minutes. Now add a couple of glasses of sake, a sprinkling of sugar and simmer for 10 minutes.
Next add slices of lotus root, chunks of daikon, gobo [Japanese burdock] and top up with dashi. Dashi is an umami rich stock made essentially from seaweed and dried bonito flakes. The powered version is widely available and works just as well here.
Simmer for between 45 minutes and an hour, The timing here varies on the size of the pieces and heat, You will know its ready when the meat is tender and gives easily. Add slices of Chinese cabbage and simmer for a further few minutes.
Miso time now- we prefer a mild sweet white miso here, red or dark miso works but can end up being too salty.
Drain off about a cup of the braising liquid into a small bowl and whisk in the miso. The amount you need is very much to taste, you can always add more after. A good starting point is about 2 tbsp for a half a head.
Pour this thick miso liquid back into your braising pan and return to the heat. Carefull not to get too hot now, miso hates been boiled. Finally drop in some pieces of tofu and sprinkle with chopped spring onion.
So that’s it, definately worth the effort, don’t forget to serve with hot shichimi pepper. A chilled glass of sake is of course, obligatory.
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bacon 12 August 2011 by DM
In the world of yakitori and kushiyaki while chicken steals the headlines the often forgotten pig also plays a major role.
A mention on blood and wasabi about bacon is long overdue, not only for the fact that we seem to spend half out lives wrapping everything that doesn’t move in paper thin sheets of the stuff, but also for anyone keen to try this at home, summer is disappearing fast, for any hope of a home barbeque it’s last chance saloon.
Bacon is gods gift to the grill, its subtle smoky pork flavouring is lifted to new heights when cooked over an open fire. What we are most interested in though is its magical rendering quality, for a cuisine that prides itself on its minimal use of oil, bacon is our natural lubricant.
A translucent layer of good quality pork can sex-up the humblest of ingredient. Items that were previously afraid of the grill are given a juicy protective coat.
So which bacon should you use?
Sadly the majority of bacon found in shops and supermarkets in the UK and Japan is utter rubbish – pumped full of salty brine this stuff will leak it’s milky white poison all over your grill. yuk. Steer well clear.
It has to be dry cured; In Japan Italian pancetta is king, the Spanish version with the subtle addition of pimenton is a close second. Some of the better supermarkets in the UK are beginning to wake up so shop around. Lucky you if you happen to live near an Italian delicatessan, speak to them nicely and they may even slice it for you.
At Bincho we use both but our favourite without doubt is the French version – ventreche. 
The scruffy chap that sits on the edge of Dijon’s faboulous food market selling his home made charcuterie just happens to be the France’s biggest yakitori fan. His black pepper crusted ventreche is the stuff of legends. Any excuse he gets he will be in Soho munching on skewers.
If you get the opportunity to pop over the channel ventreche is widely available – a must buy for aspiring grill chefs.
So what to wrap?
Amongst the vegetables asparagus is the most popular and a fixture on virtually every Izakaya menu in Japan [ in-season British of course is best]. Mushrooms are awesome – Asian varieties eringi and enoki especially good. Cherry tomatoes explosive.
As for seafood choose fish with a low oil content – scallops are the most popular, oysters, prawns, octopus and squid tentacles all work a treat. Try cubes of white fish, even boring old pollack and whiting seem to sing under the spell of the swine.
Finally lets not forget quail eggs, immensly popular, hugely labour intensive and absolutely worth the effort.
So simply take your ingredients, wrap in your translucent slices of bacon, skewer and grill – a few wedges of lemon and your away.
Its really that simple, now all you need to do is wait for the sun…
Yaki Onigiri 24 May 2011 by DM
Onigiri are hand held rice balls sold in just about every convenience store, supermarket or food hall in Japan, they are everywhere.
Sticky white rice with a variety of fillings wrapped in a sheet of nori. The sort of thing you would pick up on the way to work or school, scoff on the tube, eat at a picnic or that you would get on a visit to your grandmothers. Comfort food and the perfect snack.
Some say that it’s the Japanese equivalent of a sandwich, well if that’s the case then the grilled version, yaki onigiri must be the equivalent of a toasted sandwich.
We grill hundreds of these every week at bincho and they have a developed a cult-like following amongst our regular customers.
It was only recently when I rocked up at a friends BBQ with a few dozen of these bad boys and a bottle of sake that I realised their universal appeal and also how easy they were for the amateur cook.
what you need-
Cooked Japanese rice obviously the amount you need depends on amount you need to make, our advice is to make a few extra because all those cynics who say ‘ uurgh not for me’ will undoubtedly eat most of them.
Japanese soy sauce - use the best quality you can find, kikkoman is the preferred of-the-shelf soy, if you find yourself in a specialist Japanese food shop buy ‘tosa shoyu’ or to make your own tosa shoyu our recipe is below.
Nori - again if you have the choice spend a little extra and buy a better thicker variety
Wet your hands and take a handful of warm rice - cold rice just won’t bind together and will crumble when grilled [popping some left over rice in the microwave to reheat and re-gain stickiness is acceptable.....well at home anyway].
Squeeze the rice gently in your hands to bind and shape as close as you can to a triangle, don’t stress yourself too much about the shape, round ones are common in Japan.
Onigiri moulds to make life really easy are available in most Japanese grocery stores.
Make sure it is thoroughly bound together, once you have shaped the onigiri leave them to air for a few minutes – this will create a dryness on the surface which will stop it sticking on the grill and enhance your crust.
The trick when grilling is to take your time over a moderate heat, the longer it is on the grill the thicker the crust and the more of the charcoal flavour it will absorb. Grill on all sides until nice and crisp, total time should be about 10 mins. Then for a further 3 minutes continue to grill while basting lightly with soy, a pastry brush is good for this.
If you don’t have a BBQ or are in the hands of the British weather decent results can be had in your kitchen using a griddle pan.
Use the nori as a wrapper and eat hot. A glass of chilled sake on the side is optional but highly recommended.
Tosa shoyu
Tosa shoyu is a dashi enhanced soy sauce, usually associated with sashimi but will give your yaki onigiri an extra dimension.Our version is as follows
200 ml soy sauce
20 ml shiro dashi 
20 ml tamari
bonito flakes
a 2 inch piece of konbu
Put the soy,dashi, tamari and konbu in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer add bonito flakes and remove immediately from heat. leave for at least 24 hrs in the fridge to allow the flavours to develop, strain before use.
Once you have mastered and are hooked on yaki onigiri its time to move to the next level and try the yaki onigiri chazuke. The same yaki onigiri semi-submerged in green tea with a variety of toppings. grilled eel, shredded nori or our current favourite the umeboshi version.
Give yaki onigiri a go next time you have a barbeque, they’re a damn site more healthy than undercooked sausages
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