Asaka Japanese Cuisine


Salmon Skin Handrolls

Calamari

Garden Salad with Miso Dressing

I especially enjoyed the just under-ripe ultra-thin avocado slices on this salad. They were firm enough to slice very thin and keep their shape. I plan to use that idea in some future salad.

Vegetable Tempura Lunch Special

We had a delightful lunch at Asaka in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Every dish was so fresh and crisp and flavorful.

Happy Birthday Gina!

Panko Crusted Sole with a Crème Fraîche Caper Sauce


Fresh Petrale Sole is sauteed in half butter/half olive oil until browned, then served over the sauce. The sauce is both silky and tart, a perfect complement to the crusty fish.

Saute finely chopped onion or shallot in butter, then add capers, then a squeeze of lemon juice and and a splash of vermouth, then finish with a dollop of crème fraîche. Season to taste.

Panko Japanese Style Breadcrumbs are a bit courser than ordinary breadcrumbs. They give the fish a lighter crunchier texture.
The fresh sole is rinsed and patted dry, then seasoned with salt and pepper, then dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and finally dredged in Panko breadcrumbs, then into the saute pan.

Do you like to cook with Panko? See my August 1st post of Chèvre Chaud!

Shrimp Étouffée


My butcher (he carries seafood, too) had some great looking shrimp, so I worked on this Cajun style recipe to share.

Roux: Stir olive oil and flour in a heavy skillet over medium heat until it is a rich caramel color, about 10 minutes.

Add: onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic. Stir until softened, about 8 minutes.

Ingredient Still Life.

Add: clam juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire, cayenne, thyme, (and water). Lots of flavor!
Cook: simmer, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened.

Taste: add salt and Louisiana’s Crystal hot sauce.
Add: peeled deveined shrimp. I like the tail on for presentation.
Cook: until the shrimp are curled and pink, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve: over steaming white rice with thinly sliced scallions, and a bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce on the side.

Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup flour
1 medium onion chopped
1 stalk celery medium slice
½ green bell pepper diced
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 bottle clam juice (8 oz.)
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
10 large shrimp
2 scallions thinly sliced
Steaming fluffy white rice
Crystal Hot Sauce

Étouffée means “smothered” in French. I plate this rich tasty dish without too much smothering. However, there is plenty of sauce in this recipe if you want to smother your shrimp!

Chicken Soup with Fresh Herbs & Matzoh Ball(s)


This time I made extra large matzoh balls and only serve one per person, that’s all that will fit in the bowl! When cooking, give these matzoh balls a lot of room in the pot, and cook a little longer than usual.

Chicken Soup: Put one whole cut up chicken in a pot of filtered cold water, bring to a boil, skim the surface, and adjust heat to low. Cooking on too high heat will give you a cloudy soup. Add a teaspoon of whole peppercorns, and rough chopped onion, carrots, celery and a bunch of parsley. Cook for two hours.

Turn off the heat. Remove all the solids with tongs and a slotted spoon. Discard the vegetables. Add finely sliced celery, carrots, scallions, minced parsley and dill to the hot soup. Adjust seasonings, for a flavor boost, try adding Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base instead of salt. The thinly sliced vegetables will cook to al dente in the hot soup.

Shred the chicken by hand.

Matzoh Balls: Blend two large eggs with 2 tablespoons of good olive oil, then add one package of matzoh ball mix, minced parsley and dill. Chill for 15 minutes.

Make 10 balls per package for medium-large sized balls, and 5 for extra large balls. Cook the matzoh balls in a covered pot with the water at a moderate boil. Package instructions say to cook at a simmer. I think a moderate boil gives you fluffier balls. And peeking lets the steam out, so don’t peek!

Lori Lynn’s Matzoh Ball Secrets: Use Good Olive Oil, Add Fresh Dill and Parsley, Moderate Boil, Don’t Peek.

After about 23 minutes, we have delicious fluffy matzoh balls!

Put the shredded chicken at the bottom of a soup bowl, add a matzoh ball, then ladle the hot soup over the top.


I recommend: Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base

Happy New Year!

Ma – this Chicken Soup is for you…

Wild American Black Cod with a Potato Crust and a Lemony Butter Sauce


In the mood for fresh fish? Bristol Farms has this beautiful Black Cod…

Fresh Black Cod rubbed with Dijon mustard, salt & pepper.

Thinly sliced Idaho potato.

Wrap the fish with potato, coat with olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake at 450 until the potato is browned.

For the lemony sauce: cook minced garlic and shallots with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and equal amounts of dry white wine and French vermouth. Reduce.

Add crème fraîche, then butter. Easy yet deliciously complex lemony butter sauce!

Bon Appetit!