The Western world’s interest in foraging may come and go, but in Japan, each season brings a host of opportunities to scour forests and hillsides for the fruits (literally) of nature.
Each spring, higher elevations, forests and countryside backroads are inundated by foragers in search of mountain vegetables, fruits and berries, followed by mushrooms later in the year. Competing with animals for wild food is not without its perils, especially in bear territory, and there’s also the danger of mistaking an edible plant for one that is potentially poisonous.
This is how I found myself collecting raspberries. The hardy, thorny vines are often found in Japan’s urban areas, and raspberries don’t have many doppelgangers out in the wild, so you can be almost certain that if you come across a tendril, there’s little danger. Washing thoroughly and checking for insects is a fairly fast task, too.
While fresh raspberries are best (be they handpicked or from the market), this recipe for a tart and creamy cobbler uses frozen berries for maximum accessibility. Technically, any fruit can work as a base here — if, for example, the dad you’re cooking for this upcoming Father’s Day avoids raspberries — but rich-colored berries bubbling up from beneath the crust give a vibrancy and contrast apples or peaches don’t.
Finally, this recipe uses half a standard bottle of tonic water — I humbly suggest you dispose of the remainder via a gin and tonic or two for the dad in your life.
Serves 6-9
Cook time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 255 grams all-purpose flour
- 400 grams fresh or frozen raspberries
- 50 grams cane sugar
- 15 grams teaspoons baking powder
- 2.5 grams salt
- 50 grams butter (cold, cubed)
- 100 milliliters cream
- 100 milliliters tonic water
Directions:
1. While preheating your oven to 190 degrees Celsius, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Move 15 grams into a separate medium bowl, then mix with your sugar and toss with the raspberries until coated. Scrape this mixture into a shallow, 25-centimeter-square baking dish or into multiple ramekins.
2. In the first bowl, mix remaining flour with your baking powder and salt, then rub in the cold butter until sandy. This can also be done in a food processor. Add the cream and mix lightly; repeat with the tonic water and do the same until just wetted.
3. Transfer the flour mixture onto a flour-dusted plate and divide it with a knife into six to nine portions, shaping until roughly 1-centimeter thick. Place these cobbles side by side on top of the raspberry mixture.
4. Bake for 35 minutes or until the topping is brown and juices bubble up in the pan or ramekins.
5. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving but make sure to serve warm, optionally with more cream (whipped works too) poured over.
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