Various sansai (literally, “mountain vegetables”) come to market as winter thaws into spring. For most Japanese, the culinary allure of these edible plants lies in their bitterness that awakens winter-dormant taste buds and reinvigorates a sluggish, hibernating metabolism.
One of my favorite sansai is udo (Japanese spikenard), a rather oddly shaped perennial plant native to many parts of Asia. Udo is prized for its delicate, elusive taste and juicy-crisp texture. Udo thrives shaded from sunlight, covered in earth to protect it from wild swings in temperature; it has been foraged from woodland areas in Japan since the 8th century. Cultivation began during the Edo Period (1603-1868) in and around Kyoto and spread to other parts of Japan.
In the Kanto Plain, a tender, milder variety called Tokyo udo was developed in postwar Japan. Today, the suburbs of Tachikawa, Kokubunji and Kichijoji remain hubs of commercial udo production in Tokyo. Harvesting typically begins in December, though udo’s flavor peaks in mid-March.
All parts of udo are edible. The peels and fronds are typically made into kinpira, a spicy stir-fry, with udo substituting for gobō (burdock root).The inner white core of udo is sliced and used in soups and salads.
A classic accompaniment to udo salad is a tangy, velvety yellow sauce called kimizu. Similar to hollandaise in taste and texture, kimizu has half the calories because it has no added fat.
Udo and shrimp salad with kimizu sauce
Serves 4
- 2 Japanese (or other unwaxed seedless) cucumbers, each about 90 grams
- 1¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 stalk udo, about 30 centimeters, weighing 250 grams
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 8 extra-large shrimp, each about 25 grams
- 1 tablespoon katakuriko (potato starch)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Kimizu sauce
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Cucumbers will taste sweeter if you perform aku-nuki (“bitterness removal”) before slicing them.
Cut off a sliver from the darker stem end of the cucumber. Holding the sliver in one hand and the rest of the cucumber in the other, rub the cut ends together in a circular motion. The friction from this action causes an acrid, white, pasty substance to appear on the rim of the cucumber. This is what the Japanese call aku (bitterness).
Rinse away the aku under cold water, trim off the opposite end and pat the cucumber dry. Repeat with the other cucumber.
Slice both cucumbers into paper-thin rounds and place these in a plastic bag. Add the salt and toss lightly. Gently massage them until you see liquid forming and the cucumbers becoming pliable. Close the bag and let sit for about five minutes. Open the bag, drain off the liquid, rinse and drain again. Check that the cucumbers are pliable and slightly briny before setting them aside.
Now turn your attention to the udo. First, the stalks need to be gently scrubbed in cold water to remove excess fuzziness and any dirt that might still be clinging to them. Trim and set aside the curly fronds, then cut the stalk into 5-centimeter-long pieces. Broadly peel each piece to reveal a pearly white cylindrical core. Set the peels aside with the fronds (which can be turned into kinpira).
Add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar to a bowl of water. Slice the peeled udo pieces with the grain into ¼-cm-thick slabs and immediately place them into the bowl of water (the vinegar keeps them from discoloring). Just before using, blot the slabs dry on paper towels.
Peel and devein the shrimp, then place them in a small bowl. Toss with the potato starch and salt, gently massaging the mixture into the shrimp. Set aside for one minute, then rinse off the mixture and pat the shrimp dry on paper towels. Bring water to a rolling boil in a small pot and add the shrimp. Stir, and when the shrimp begin to turn pink and the water returns to a boil, drain them.
To cool the shrimp, fan them rather than plunge them in ice water — this will preserve their flavor. Set aside the blanched shrimp.
To prepare the kimizu sauce, you will need a double boiler or a similar setup with hot water on the bottom and a bowl or saucepan on top in which the ingredients can be whisked.
Place the egg yolk, mirin, sugar and salt in a heat-resistant glass bowl or an enamel-lined saucepan. Whisk to blend the mixture, drizzle in the vinegar and continue to whisk till smooth.
Prepare your double boiler. Set the bowl or saucepan over a pan or pot of hot water (80 degrees Celsius is ideal), being careful not to have it in direct contact with the water, which could cause the sauce to curdle or separate. Stir the egg yolk mixture constantly until it begins to thicken. Take the bowl or saucepan away from the hot water, stirring constantly until the sauce cools. The bowl or saucepan can be placed over a bowl of ice water while whisking to hasten the cooling process.
Assemble the salad just before serving. Divide the wilted cucumbers into four portions and coax each portion into a mound. Prepare four serving bowls. Set two shrimp at the back of each bowl, followed by a mound of cucumbers against them. Then place the udo slabs in front of each earlier arrangement.
Finally, restir your yellow kimizu sauce till it is smooth and creamy and place a dollop of it on each salad.
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