The new Japanese Cooking Thread: Now With 72% Less Pocky and Instant Ramen.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > The new Japanese Cooking Thread: Now With 72% Less Pocky and Instant Ramen.

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captkirk: Feb 5, 2010

Johnny Truant posted:

No konbu

Konbu adds glutamate but not a lot of flavor, so you could get away with using MSG powder or soaking dry shiitake mushrooms in place of konbu (shiitake will change the flavor some of course). Or you could leave it out and just use the katsuoboshi.

# ? Jun 23, 2019 14:19

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# ? May 11, 2024 18:29

Pollyanna: Mar 5, 2005; Milk's on them.

Johnny Truant posted:

Not what I was thinking of but that's a great bottle.

Babby's first okonomiyaki!

Oh man, I just totally blanked on the fact that you can just make okonomiyaki at home. :psyduck:

I need to try this! Finding bonito flakes might be a bitch though.

# ? Jun 24, 2019 03:34

Johnny Truant: Jul 22, 2008

Pollyanna posted:

Oh man, I just totally blanked on the fact that you can just make okonomiyaki at home.

I need to try this! Finding bonito flakes might be a bitch though.

Super 88 has a full shelf of bonito :toot:

# ? Jun 24, 2019 03:48

Grand Fromage: Jan 30, 2006; L-l-look at you bar-bartender, a-a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone, un-underestimating my l-l-liver's ability to metab-meTABolize t-toxins. How can you p-poison a perfect, immortal alcohOLIC?

Anything dried like katsuobushi or kombu is easy to buy online duderbroheims. Basically every pantry staple you need for Japanese food is at least shelf stable before it's opened so it's real easy to just get it all on the internet.

# ? Jun 24, 2019 03:52

Pollyanna: Mar 5, 2005; Milk's on them.

I mean I could but also I can just stop by Hmart on my way back from work and try there. Super 88 looks fuckin dope tho.

Goddammit I gotta make okonomiyaki for dinner sometime. I�m so hungryyyy

# ? Jun 24, 2019 04:55

Casu Marzu: Oct 20, 2008

If you have an H-Mart nearby you should not complain about finding anything as common as bonito flakes :colbert:

# ? Jun 24, 2019 14:54

seance snacks: Mar 30, 2007

I've been hearing a lot about H-Mart and I'm considering making a road trip there. There's a bunch in Washington DC surrounding areas but that's at least an hour each way for me.

Anything specific to look out for besides the sashimi platters?

# ? Jun 26, 2019 18:08

Casu Marzu: Oct 20, 2008

Noslo posted:

I've been hearing a lot about H-Mart and I'm considering making a road trip there. There's a bunch in Washington DC surrounding areas but that's at least an hour each way for me.

Anything specific to look out for besides the sashimi platters?

Go hungry and eat a pile of food from the food court.

Also fill up your trunk with a pile of Korean instant noodles.

# ? Jun 26, 2019 23:37

Suspect Bucket: Jan 15, 2012; SHRIMPDOR WAS A MAN
I mean, HE WAS A SHRIMP MAN
er, maybe also A DRAGON
or possibly
A MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM
BUT HE WAS STILL
SHRIMPDOR

Casu Marzu posted:

.

Also fill up your trunk with a pile of Korean instant noodles.

The Mama faux duck ones are my favorite. Can't be beat for 50 cents. NongShim Black, but that's way more expensive. Also, the beauty supply stores have good sales, stuff like face masks 2/a dollar and foaming charcoal cleanse. My sister goes apeshit for that stuff.

# ? Jun 29, 2019 04:58

Two Worlds: Feb 3, 2009; An IMPOSTORE!

Weirdly can't find a precise recipe for the miso in mori kyuu, one of my favorite snacks, and I've got a bunch of Japanese cucumber in the garden. Any leads?

# ? Jul 1, 2019 06:33

hakimashou: Jul 15, 2002; Upset Trowel

tokyo reject posted:

Proper Sushi Rice

Saw some questions on sushi rice upthread a bit. I worked as a sous chef at Nobu for a couple of years and at a Michelin fancy pants establishment as a sushi �chef� (The usage of the term �chef� is a little different in traditional Edo style sushi bars than say a brigade style kitchen, I was basically a sushi �helper�, but most Americans would just refer to the job as �sushi chef� and not think twice about it.) for 3 years prior. I also make sushi at home all the time.

Without going too deep into the rabbit hole that is sushi rice, here�s how I make sushi rice at home. Hope it�s helpful, and keep in mind that even amongst Japanese chefs technique can vary greatly. (Soak vs. not soak, dry, rice maker or double boiler with a net, vinegar, etc etc)

Obviously good rice is important, but not as important as a lot of people make it out to be unless you�re really shooting for the moon. California grown koshihikari is about the best you�re gonna get retail, but honestly I just use Nishiki at home and I�m happy with it https://www.amazon.com/Nishiki-Prem...958417760&psc=1

I would say it�s FAR more important to choose a decent brand and STICK with it, than to use the best rice available. If you�re switching up brands every time you make sushi rice, you�re never gonna learn to recognize the nuances of your rice to achieve max consistency.

I�ve worked in places where we made rice for service everyday the old school way with a double boiler and net, and also where we used rice makers. Don�t get cocky, a simple rice maker is all you need. I use this one at home https://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NH...58711&s=grocery

There�s absolutely no need for a $500 zojirushi with all the bells and whistles, and besides if you ever invite an actual Japanese person over for dinner they will just roll their eyes and quietly judge you for it anyways. Also, get a net. It prevents the rice on the bottom from burning, makes cleanup a breeze, and also allows you to just dump it into your hangiri.

SOOO�. a hangiri. It�s a (typically) cedar one of these https://www.amazon.com/BambooMN-Hangiri-Sushi-Mixing-Piece/dp/B0742JVZZ5/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=hangiri&qid=1560358885&s=home-garden&sr=1-2

Pick one up, they�re only ~$30. It serves two purposes, because it�s porous it absorbs a lot of the steam as your rice cools (as opposed to a metal bowl or whatever, which will just push the steam right back into your rice, loving with the texture and making it �gummy� for lack of a better word.) It also imparts a nice hint of �woody� or �cedar flavor� that I find balances out the kombu in your sushi vinegar.

OK sushi vinegar. This varies WIDELY. Since red akazu vinegar is kind of a bitch to get here in the US, I usually just use rice vinegar. At Nobu we�d use a mix of sherry and rice vinegar for some of the higher end nigiri to mimic red vinegar, then just increase the amount of salt to compensate for the sweetness in the sherry.

A good basic ratio is 7 parts vinegar, 4 parts sugar, 2 parts salt. American sushi restaurants make their rice way sweeter than traditional Edo spots, but something like this is what you�re probably tasting when you slam down rolls at your local spot. I prefer more of a 7: 3: 3ish ratio, but honestly I just go by taste when I make it. Edo sushi rice is traditionally a lot saltier (also because you�re not making rolls at all, just nigiri) and you want that salty �pucker� effect when you taste it, it enhances the fish. Again, not trying to go off on a huge tangent most people won�t care about.

I dissolve all of it in the vinegar cold, then once the salt and sugar are dissolved into the vinegar I plop a piece of kombu in there for that enhanced msg goodness and wait for my rice to finish.

�Season� your hangiri ahead of time (wipe it with a sushi vinegar towel, rice sticks to dry poo poo like napalm).

So, in a bowl or strainer or whatever rinse your rice. Cold water, gentle swoosh around, strain. Repeat 4-5 times (this is one of those areas that can vary greatly and everyone swears their way is the �only� way. gently caress �em, rinse it 4-5 times until the water runs mostly clear. A little starch leftover isn�t a bad thing and actually contributes to the �tackiness� of the finished sushi rice that you�ll want as you�re not cooking it into mush). Don�t beat the poo poo out of it while rinsing, you don�t want to crack grains which leads to improper cooking and overcooked sushi rice.

Throw your rice in the rice maker, add your water, flip �er on. I use a 1:1.15 ratio of rice to water, or just knuckle it.

I don�t soak my rice for various reasons, but that�s a 4000 word tangent. But the short answer for cooking at home is, you probably don�t know how old your rice is, and won�t be able to properly adjust the amount of water you add to the rice maker based on what your rice absorbs while soaking.

When the rice maker goes off let it sit for another 10 minutes or so to finish cooking and absorb any residual steam. Dump it into the hangiri from your net.

Season your rice with your sushi vinegar over your rice paddle. I�m sure there�s youtube videos of this that are easy to find. In a real sushi bar, this is actually referred to as �cutting the rice�. Another 4000 word tangent about proper technique here and the theory behind it, but basically just evenly distribute the vinegar over your rice.

Fan it out evenly in your hangiri. Wait for it to stop steaming. Flip, �cut�, repeat until barely above room temp and no more steam. Google a ratio of rice to vinegar, I honestly would have no idea what that looks like. I�ve been doing for this daily so long and I have a huge batch of premade sushi vinegar both at work and home, and just go by eyeballing and taste.

Place rice in a bowl with a damp towel over, and booyah! I�d say for a home sized batch in a small hangiri like that you�re probably looking at ~30-35 minutes of flipping and cooling. Don�t overthink it.

EDIT: Also, jesus christ, never refrigerate your rice or any such for sushi. Totally fucks with the starch and texture. Just leave it at room temp. I leave my leftover sushi rice out overnight when I make it for dinner, and use it for hawaiin style rice 'n eggs the next morning without fail. Yeah I know ServSafe blah blah

Wanted to say TY for this wonderful post and to everyone else for the subsequent sushi rice discussion!

# ? Jul 1, 2019 07:02

mystes: May 31, 2006

Two Worlds posted:

Weirdly can't find a precise recipe for the miso in mori kyuu, one of my favorite snacks, and I've got a bunch of Japanese cucumber in the garden. Any leads?

You're really planning on making your own moromi miso?

# ? Jul 1, 2019 12:29

hakimashou: Jul 15, 2002; Upset Trowel

Any of you guys know all about making tempura and how to do it well?

# ? Jul 2, 2019 02:41

Sextro: Aug 23, 2014

Speaking of going on giant rice tangents. What can I do to go deeper down the rabbit hole of making my rice even better? Mitsuwa market in Edgewater sells imported rice labeled with the harvest season and date of polishing/packaging. So I know how old my rice is.

# ? Jul 2, 2019 02:48

Grand Fromage: Jan 30, 2006; L-l-look at you bar-bartender, a-a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone, un-underestimating my l-l-liver's ability to metab-meTABolize t-toxins. How can you p-poison a perfect, immortal alcohOLIC?

hakimashou posted:

Any of you guys know all about making tempura and how to do it well?

The Kenji method with sparkling water and vodka comes out great for me. Use an oil thermometer, don't fry too much at once, get everything on a rack to drain immediately. Also don't look down on tempura batter mix, it's good stuff. I have found that the IT MUST BE ICE COLD YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO USE THE BATTER!!! stuff I've read is way overblown, you do want the batter to be cold but it's best not to rush.

# ? Jul 2, 2019 05:23

Scythe: Jan 26, 2004

Another technique that I found helps is to intentionally mix the batter shittily, since you want essentially no gluten formation. Combine wet and dry ingredients separately like you�re baking, then barely mix them just until they�re together, some lumps are OK. I think one cookbook I have suggests using a pair of chopsticks to mix because they do a �bad� job.

# ? Jul 2, 2019 17:13

Disinterested: Jun 29, 2011; You look like you're still raking it in. Still killing 'em?

Scythe posted:

Another technique that I found helps is to intentionally mix the batter shittily, since you want essentially no gluten formation. Combine wet and dry ingredients separately like you�re baking, then barely mix them just until they�re together, some lumps are OK. I think one cookbook I have suggests using a pair of chopsticks to mix because they do a �bad� job.

Heston Blumenthal also intentionally 'badly' mixes batter in his dishes to create shards and deformities for added texture. I think this is just uniformly a good move.

# ? Jul 2, 2019 23:27

tokyo reject: Jun 12, 2019; when she's tryin to slide into your dm's but you wanna talk about a better america

Disinterested posted:

Heston Blumenthal also intentionally 'badly' mixes batter in his dishes to create shards and deformities for added texture. I think this is just uniformly a good move.

Honestly, best tempura batter I've seen is just made with rice flour and water and shot out of an ISI gun with a soda cartridge https://www.amazon.com/iSi-1-Pint-Gourmet-Culinary-Whipper/dp/B001U83TWW/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=isi+gun&qid=1562174479&s=gateway&sr=8-2

I know an ISI gun may not exactly be average "home equipment", but you'd actually be surprised at how much you'll start using it if you get one. Plus, there's cheap off-brand ones on Amazon for <$40. I even use mine to make pancake batter for maximum fluff.

But yeah, you can just put whatever vegetable, shrimp, etc. in a metal bowl, shoot your aerated batter out of the ISI gun into the metal bowl with your veg, toss it a bit to coat, and drop it in the fryer/oil. The ISI gun aerates the batter super nicely with a soda cartridge and you get a really, really light, crisp fry.

ISI gun is also awesome for buying cold brew coffee at Trader Joe's, dumping it in with a cream cartridge, and having instant home made nitro brews.

# ? Jul 3, 2019 18:27

al-azad: May 28, 2009

Disinterested posted:

Heston Blumenthal also intentionally 'badly' mixes batter in his dishes to create shards and deformities for added texture. I think this is just uniformly a good move.

Same tip applies for pancakes. Lumpy batter is better.

# ? Jul 3, 2019 20:50

Johnny Truant: Jul 22, 2008

I had no idea that lumpy batter was better, and the second time I made okonomiyaki I desperately tried to mush out all the lumps. Good to know for next time!

Suspect Bucket posted:

NongShim Black, but that's way more expensive.

Honestly anything NongShim is fuckin doooooooooope.

# ? Jul 3, 2019 21:23

hakimashou: Jul 15, 2002; Upset Trowel

tokyo reject posted:

Honestly, best tempura batter I've seen is just made with rice flour and water and shot out of an ISI gun with a soda cartridge https://www.amazon.com/iSi-1-Pint-Gourmet-Culinary-Whipper/dp/B001U83TWW/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=isi+gun&qid=1562174479&s=gateway&sr=8-2

I know an ISI gun may not exactly be average "home equipment", but you'd actually be surprised at how much you'll start using it if you get one. Plus, there's cheap off-brand ones on Amazon for <$40. I even use mine to make pancake batter for maximum fluff.

But yeah, you can just put whatever vegetable, shrimp, etc. in a metal bowl, shoot your aerated batter out of the ISI gun into the metal bowl with your veg, toss it a bit to coat, and drop it in the fryer/oil. The ISI gun aerates the batter super nicely with a soda cartridge and you get a really, really light, crisp fry.

ISI gun is also awesome for buying cold brew coffee at Trader Joe's, dumping it in with a cream cartridge, and having instant home made nitro brews.

I�ve got one! I don�t have co2 carriages for it though, I�m gonna get some and try this some day.

# ? Jul 3, 2019 21:44

gamingCaffeinator: Sep 6, 2010; I shall sing you the song of my people.

Johnny Truant posted:

!

Honestly anything NongShim is fuckin doooooooooope.

The pot-au-feu cups are my favorite but I don't have time to drive 45 minutes to the nearest H-Mart or Mitsuwa.

# ? Jul 4, 2019 02:39

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Noslo posted:

I've been hearing a lot about H-Mart and I'm considering making a road trip there. There's a bunch in Washington DC surrounding areas but that's at least an hour each way for me.

Anything specific to look out for besides the sashimi platters?

If you live in DC there�s a Japanese grocery store on U St and 17th NW (or maybe 16th).

# ? Jul 4, 2019 11:32

hakimashou: Jul 15, 2002; Upset Trowel

My Akazu vinegar from that site came, so i finally worked up the courage to make some actual raw sushi at home. My first time!

Japanese grocery store has some nice blocks of frozen Hamachi from Japan, thawed it out in the fridge today.

Did hamachi nigiri, hamachi/scallion/asparagus roll, tamagoyaki, couple poached chilled shrimp/ebi, miso soup with dashi from scratch. Had the grated daikon and stuff, all tasted great, lets see if I live!

Did fat maki instead of the skinny one for some dumb reason, so one of the ends didnt hold together too well, and the tamagoyaki was ok but not my best, i havent made it in a long time. All in all would deffo eat again if i dont get sick!

Also i don't actually know how to set the ebi on the rice right, rip!

E: and some locally brewed sake made by a japanese expat here that is really quite good

hakimashou fucked around with this message at 07:49 on Jul 6, 2019

# ? Jul 6, 2019 07:38

Thoht: Aug 3, 2006

I think the tamagoyaki looks pretty good. There's no browning, at least.

# ? Jul 6, 2019 17:19

hakimashou: Jul 15, 2002; Upset Trowel

Thoht posted:

I think the tamagoyaki looks pretty good. There's no browning, at least.

Ya it just wasnt very juicy i guess, its been ages since i made one. The 1/2 or so that was left i ended up pouring bottled cold soba sauce over and piling some grated daikon on and just eating with my hands like a savage, was good that way.

Anyway no food poisoning yet so you can eat raw fish at home, who knew!

# ? Jul 6, 2019 23:40

Eeyo: Aug 29, 2004

Can curry blocks be frozen? The whole package is sometimes too much curry, so it would be nice to be able to make a little less of it, but still be able to use the rest.

# ? Jul 7, 2019 23:48

Grand Fromage: Jan 30, 2006; L-l-look at you bar-bartender, a-a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone, un-underestimating my l-l-liver's ability to metab-meTABolize t-toxins. How can you p-poison a perfect, immortal alcohOLIC?

They keep practically forever in the fridge so there's no need. I haven't tried to keep them for a year or anything but a few months is no problem.

# ? Jul 7, 2019 23:55

im on the net me boys: Feb 19, 2017; Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjjhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjhhhhhhjhhhhhhhhhjjjhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh cannabis

Eeyo posted:

Can curry blocks be frozen? The whole package is sometimes too much curry, so it would be nice to be able to make a little less of it, but still be able to use the rest.

I don't see why you'd need to freeze them. Since they're shelf stable, why not just put them in a Ziploc bag and put it where you normally store dry goods?

# ? Jul 7, 2019 23:55

Grand Fromage: Jan 30, 2006; L-l-look at you bar-bartender, a-a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone, un-underestimating my l-l-liver's ability to metab-meTABolize t-toxins. How can you p-poison a perfect, immortal alcohOLIC?

I assume he's talking about an open package. I don't know if they will go bad after opening if left at room temperature, I've always fridged.

# ? Jul 7, 2019 23:58

Eeyo: Aug 29, 2004

Maybe fridge makes more sense, it would be easier to incorporate anyway than a frozen brick. And yeah, I'm talking about opening a package, breaking off a few blocks to make a smaller amount of curry, then using the rest of the blocks later. It's probably salty enough to stay good for a while.

# ? Jul 8, 2019 01:26

Babylon Astronaut: Apr 19, 2012

Curry blocks are salt, and preservatives. They are fine un-refrigerated. It may preserve the flavor to seal and refrigerate, but it's curry blocks; if you cared that much use some fresh spices.

# ? Jul 8, 2019 05:06

mystes: May 31, 2006

The first two ingredients are flour and oil. I'm not sure you really want to leave them unrefrigerated?

# ? Jul 8, 2019 05:12

Grand Fromage: Jan 30, 2006; L-l-look at you bar-bartender, a-a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone, un-underestimating my l-l-liver's ability to metab-meTABolize t-toxins. How can you p-poison a perfect, immortal alcohOLIC?

Why would you refrigerate flour or oil?

# ? Jul 8, 2019 05:26

mystes: May 31, 2006

Grand Fromage posted:

Why would you refrigerate flour or oil?

You don't think it would be necessary to refrigerate flour mixed with oil? Maybe as long as there's no water it would be ok but it seems like asking for trouble.

# ? Jul 8, 2019 05:39

im on the net me boys: Feb 19, 2017; Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjjhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjhhhhhhjhhhhhhhhhjjjhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh cannabis

A good way to not have extra curry blocks is to invite someone over for curry

# ? Jul 8, 2019 05:42

Grand Fromage: Jan 30, 2006; L-l-look at you bar-bartender, a-a pa-pathetic creature of meat and bone, un-underestimating my l-l-liver's ability to metab-meTABolize t-toxins. How can you p-poison a perfect, immortal alcohOLIC?

mystes posted:

You don't think it would be necessary to refrigerate flour mixed with oil? Maybe as long as there's no water it would be ok but it seems like asking for trouble.

Not if it's been sealed and shelf stabilized like curry blocks, no.

# ? Jul 8, 2019 05:44

Hauki: May 11, 2010

mystes posted:

The first two ingredients are flour and oil. I'm not sure you really want to leave them unrefrigerated?

like the only possible thing that could happen there is the oil goes rancid and tastes bad

refrigeration would slow that down, but you're talking a potential period of many months or years at that point

# ? Jul 8, 2019 05:52

Babylon Astronaut: Apr 19, 2012

You're describing flour, something famously stored at room temperature, and saturated fat, a preservative of foods.

# ? Jul 8, 2019 09:17

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# ? May 11, 2024 18:29

Shibawanko: Feb 13, 2013

My breakfast:

Tamagokakegohan with my homemade natto and spring onion, took the photo at a weird angle because I wanted to show the bowl to someone. I kind of wish I could find the very long and slender kind of leeks that they have in Japan.

# ? Jul 8, 2019 14:14

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > The new Japanese Cooking Thread: Now With 72% Less Pocky and Instant Ramen.

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