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81 recipes

Shirasu donRice bowl with whitebait

Shirasu don comes from the Shonan coast around Enoshima and Kamakura, where the fishing boats bring in tiny whitebait from spring to autumn and cafés serve them boiled and piled over rice for lunch. At home it makes a five-minute supper: the little fish are soft, salty and sweet like the sea, lifted by spring onion, ginger and fresh shiso. Buy kamaage or kama-age shirasu, the ready-boiled kind sold chilled in Japanese shops; keep it in the fridge and use it by the date on the pack. Don't use raw (nama) shirasu at home. The common mistake is pouring soy all over; the fish are already salted, so a few drops are enough. Chef's tip: lay the shirasu on the rice in a loose heap rather than pressing it flat, so it stays fluffy and moist.

5 min

Japanese Fish

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Amazake (sweet koji rice drink)

On New Year's Day, crowds queuing for hatsumōde, the first shrine visit of the year, warm their hands on cups of amazake, and shrines all over Japan ladle it out as a welcome. This is the koji kind: cooked rice is held warm with rice koji, whose enzymes turn the starch into sugar, so the drink is sweet with no added sugar and contains no alcohol (unlike the other amazake made from sake lees). It is thick, creamy and gently fragrant, a little like rice pudding you can drink. Serve it hot with a pinch of grated ginger, or chilled in summer. Chef's tip: a cheap probe thermometer is the whole secret; keep the mixture at 55–60 °C and it will turn sweet every time.

480 min

Japanese Drinks

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Yawata-maki (beef-wrapped burdock)

Yawata-maki is named after Yawata, south of Kyoto, once famous for its burdock, and it graces the Shōgatsu osechi box because burdock roots grow long and deep: a wish for a family rooted firmly and prosperous for many years. Pre-simmered burdock stays earthy and tender with a little bite, wrapped in thin slices of beef that brown and then glisten under a sweet soy glaze; cut, each piece shows a neat spiral. The glaze uses sake and mirin, both rice wines; for no alcohol, use water instead of the sake and 2 tbsp water plus 2 tsp sugar instead of the mirin. Serve at room temperature in the osechi box, or warm with rice and pickles. Chef's tip: roll the beef tightly and start cooking seam-side down; the seam seals and the rolls hold without string.

60 min

Japanese Meat

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Tazukuri (candied baby sardines)

Tazukuri means 'making rice paddies': in old Japan small sardines were spread on fields as fertiliser, and these glazed little fish became a New Year wish for a rich harvest; they are one of the three essential osechi nibbles with black beans and herring roe. Toasted dry until they snap, then tossed in a sweet-salty glaze, they are crunchy, savoury and moreish, with a nutty sesame finish. The glaze includes mirin, a sweet rice wine; for no alcohol use 1 tbsp water and 1 extra tsp sugar. Serve a small heap in the osechi box, with green tea, or over hot rice. Chef's tip: toast slowly until one fish snaps cleanly in half; chewy sardines never turn crisp later.

20 min

Japanese Fish

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Tai no shioyaki (salt-grilled sea bream)

Tai, sea bream, is the fish of good fortune in Japan, because its name echoes medetai (joyful, auspicious), and its red-pink skin is a lucky colour. A whole salt-grilled bream is the centrepiece of celebrations nationwide: the Shichi-Go-San family meal in November, first-birthday feasts and the New Year table, always served whole to show a life lived from beginning to end. Salt is the only seasoning, drawing the moisture from the skin so it crisps and blisters, while the white flesh underneath stays sweet and moist. Serve with sekihan, a wedge of sudachi or lemon and grated daikon. Chef's tip: pack extra salt thickly onto the fins and tail before cooking; this decorative salt keeps them from burning, so the fish looks as fine as it tastes.

50 min

Japanese Fish

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Sakurayu (salted cherry blossom tea)

Sakurayu is not really tea at all but salt-pickled cherry blossoms steeped in hot water, and it is served all over Japan at engagements, weddings and other happy occasions, as well as in the hanami season. Green tea is avoided at such moments because "muddying the tea" is a phrase for being evasive, while a blossom opening in a clear cup is a picture of a bright beginning. The drink is pale pink, gently salty and faintly scented of cherry and almond. The blossoms are bought ready-salted (sakura no shiozuke) from Japanese grocers. Serve it with small sweets such as sakura mochi or hanami dango. Chef's tip: use water just off the boil and pour it slowly down the side of the cup, so the petals open without tearing.

5 min

Japanese Drinks

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Ebi no umani (simmered prawns)

Bright red prawns curled like a bent back sit in every Shōgatsu osechi box in Japan as a wish to live until your back is bent with age, and their red is the colour of celebration. Simmered briefly in dashi, soy and sugar, they stay plump and juicy, and cooling in the liquid gives them a sweet-savoury flavour right through to the shell. The liquid includes sake and mirin, both rice wines; for no alcohol, replace the sake with extra dashi and the mirin with 3 tbsp water plus 1 tbsp sugar. Use frozen head-on prawns, thawed in the fridge. Serve cold or at room temperature in the osechi box, or warm with rice. Chef's tip: lift the prawns out as soon as they turn pink, reduce the liquid, then return them; this keeps them tender.

20 min

Japanese Fish

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Kubu irichi (Okinawan kombu stir-fry)

In Okinawa, kubu irichi is cooked for Obon (here called Shōmō or Ukui), when families welcome the spirits of their ancestors home with offerings, and it reappears at every big family gathering. Kombu, 'kubu' in the island dialect, sounds like 'yorokobu', to rejoice, and Okinawa has loved it for centuries thanks to the old kelp trade from Hokkaido. Strips of pork belly are stir-fried until their fat runs, then the kelp, konnyaku and carrot simmer in pork-scented stock until the liquid is absorbed, giving a soft, savoury, gently sweet tangle full of the sea. Serve with rice, as part of an Obon spread or a bentō. Chef's tip: keep some of the kombu soaking water; it is the stock that gives the dish its depth.

45 min

Japanese Meat

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Setsubun iwashi (salt-grilled sardines)

In the Kansai region, Setsubun in early February is the night for grilled sardines: the smoke and strong smell are said to keep demons away, and many homes still fix a sardine head on a sprig of holly by the door (hiiragi iwashi) as a charm. Eating the oily fish is thought to keep you well through the turn of the season. Salt-grilling is the simplest way to cook them: crisp, salty, blistered skin over rich, soft flesh, cut by the cool sharpness of grated daikon and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with plain rice and miso soup. Chef's tip: salt the fish 15 minutes ahead and pat off the beads of moisture before grilling, which takes away the fishy edge and lets the skin crisp.

20 min

Japanese Fish

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Buri no teriyaki (glazed yellowtail)

Buri, Japanese yellowtail, is the year-end fish of western Japan and the yakimono (grilled dish) of many Shōgatsu osechi boxes, because it is a 'promotion fish' that changes its name as it grows, a wish to rise in life in the new year. Buri is rich and meaty, and the teriyaki glaze turns it deep bronze, sweet-salty and glossy on the outside while the flesh stays moist. The glaze uses sake and mirin, both rice wines; for no alcohol, use water instead of the sake and 2 tbsp water plus 2 tsp sugar instead of the mirin. Serve with rice, miso soup and grated daikon, or chilled in the osechi box. Chef's tip: salting the fish for 10 minutes and patting it dry removes the fishy moisture and helps the glaze cling.

25 min

Japanese Fish

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Kazunoko (marinated herring roe)

Kazunoko, golden sacs of herring roe, is a jewel of the Shōgatsu osechi box all over Japan: its thousands of tiny eggs ask for many children and a family that keeps growing, and its name hints at 'number of children'. Its charm is texture: each bite pops and crunches, with a clean, mild sea taste carried by a dashi and soy marinade. The marinade includes mirin, a sweet rice wine, which is briefly boiled; for no alcohol, use 1 tbsp water plus 1 tsp sugar. Serve cold in small pieces, topped with katsuobushi flakes, with other osechi dishes or rice. The roe is salt-cured and not cooked, so it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. Chef's tip: desalt in lightly salted water, not plain water; it draws the salt out evenly without making the roe bitter.

30 min

Japanese Fish

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Matsumae-zuke (squid and kelp pickle)

Matsumae-zuke is Hokkaido's gift to the New Year table, named after the old Matsumae domain whose ports traded in dried squid and kombu; families make a big jar at the end of December to eat through Shōgatsu, with kombu ('yorokobu', joy) and herring roe for many children. As it sits, the kelp releases its natural stickiness, so the chewy squid and crisp carrot are bound in a glossy, savoury-sweet, deeply umami dressing. The marinade uses sake and mirin, both rice wines, boiled to drive off most of the alcohol; for none at all, use water instead of the sake and 3 tbsp water plus 1 tbsp sugar instead of the mirin. Serve a spoonful over hot rice or as a nibble with drinks. Chef's tip: cut the squid and kombu with dry kitchen scissors; wet ones stick and tear.

30 min

Japanese Fish

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Aji no tatakiChopped horse mackerel with ginger

Aji no tataki is a dish of Japan's fishing ports, from the Izu peninsula to Kyushu, eaten as a summer lunch over rice or a starter with cold drinks when the horse mackerel come in fresh. The raw fillets are skinned and chopped with a knife, then mixed with grated ginger, spring onion and shiso, so the fish is soft, cool and clean-tasting with a sharp herbal bite. As a main over rice, a portion has about 28 g of protein from the fish. This is raw fish: buy only sashimi-grade fish from a fishmonger you trust, keep it ice-cold, and freeze it at −20 °C for at least 24 hours first to kill parasites; anyone pregnant, very young, older or with a weak immune system should not eat it. The common mistake is chopping it into a paste: keep small pieces with some texture. Chef's tip: chill the board and the bowl, and work quickly, so the fish never warms up.

20 min

Japanese Fish

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Niku-dofuBeef and tofu simmer

Niku-dofu is a home and izakaya favourite across Japan, especially in winter, when a pot of it comes to the table with rice and miso soup on a weeknight. Thin slices of beef and big blocks of firm tofu simmer with onion and spring onion in a sweet soy and dashi broth until the tofu is stained amber and full of flavour. This is a beef dish; a portion has about 26 g of protein from the beef and tofu. Traditional recipes use sake and mirin; this version leaves them out and uses a little more sugar, so it is alcohol-free. The common mistake is boiling the beef for the whole time, which makes it tough: add it near the end. Chef's tip: press the tofu for 15 minutes first so it soaks up the broth instead of watering it down.

30 min

Japanese Meat

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Mabo nasu (Japanese mapo aubergine)

Mabo nasu is the Japanese home take on a Sichuan dish, cooked across Japan on weeknights when aubergines are cheap in summer: soft aubergine and minced pork in a glossy, mild sauce of doubanjiang, miso and soy, eaten over white rice. This is a pork dish. The usual mistake is under-cooking the aubergine, which stays spongy and drinks the sauce; fry it until it is collapsing and shiny first. Chef's tip: stir the cornflour slurry in off the heat, then bring it back to a bubble, so it thickens smoothly without lumps.

25 min

Japanese Meat

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Buta kimchi (pork and kimchi stir-fry)

Buta kimchi is a Japanese izakaya and home favourite, cooked in Tokyo flats in the time it takes the rice to finish: thin slices of pork belly or shoulder fried until the fat crisps, then tossed with sour, spicy kimchi and onion. This is a pork dish. The common mistake is using fresh, young kimchi; well-fermented, sour kimchi gives the deep flavour, and fresh kimchi just tastes of raw cabbage. Chef's tip: add a splash of the kimchi juice at the very end for an instant sauce.

15 min

Japanese Meat

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Okosama lunchKetchup rice and mini hamburger plate

Okosama ranchi, the 'little guest's lunch', has been on Japanese family-restaurant menus since the 1930s, and parents recreate it at home for birthdays: a dome of chicken ketchup rice with a paper flag, a small hamburg patty, a couple of breaded prawns and a twist of buttered spaghetti, all on one plate. It is meant to look like a treat, so presentation is half the fun; add a few cherry tomatoes (quartered for small children) and broccoli for colour. This recipe makes four plates and is timed so everything finishes together. It contains egg, milk, gluten and shellfish. Chef's tip: press the rice into a small wet bowl and turn it out for a perfect dome.

80 min

Japanese Meat

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Japanese strawberry shortcake

In Japan, the 'shortcake' on every birthday table and every Christmas Eve is nothing like the American scone version: it is a tall, cloud-soft sponge filled and covered with lightly sweetened cream and crowned with a ring of strawberries. Children choose it at the cake shop for their birthday, and it is just as good made at home. It contains egg, milk and gluten. Chef's tip: brush each sponge layer with a little plain sugar syrup; it keeps the cake moist without any alcohol.

70 min

Japanese Baking

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Hayashi rice for toddlersBeef and onion sauce on rice

Hayashi rice, thin slices of beef and sweet onion in a glossy tomato and brown-roux sauce over rice, is a Japanese home and school-lunch favourite that children often love even more than curry. Shop roux blocks are salty, so this version builds the sauce from scratch with butter, flour, tomato and no-salt stock, mild enough for toddlers from a year old, with no wine. It contains milk (butter) and gluten (wheat flour). Chef's tip: cook the onions slowly until deep golden; their sweetness replaces the sugar and salt of a packet roux.

50 min

Japanese Meat

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Cucumber-stuffed chikuwa (chikuwa kyuri)

Chikuwa, the tube-shaped grilled fish cake sold in every Japanese supermarket, gets the simplest treatment of all in children's bento: a stick of crisp cucumber pushed through the hole and the tube sliced into rounds, so each piece looks like a little green-eyed wheel. It is cold, crunchy and gently savoury, ready in five minutes on a busy morning, and good as an after-school nibble too. Chikuwa is ready to eat; it contains fish and usually wheat and egg white, so check the label. Chef's tip: trim the cucumber stick to fit snugly; too fat and the chikuwa splits.

5 min

Japanese Fish

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Kuri manjuChestnut buns

Made to look like a chestnut, kuri manju (栗まんじゅう) is one of Japan's favourite baked wagashi, a little teardrop of tender, cake-like dough wrapped around sweet white bean paste studded with candied chestnut. The top is glazed twice with egg yolk until it bakes a glossy chestnut brown, and the flat base is dipped in poppy seeds to mimic the pale bottom of a real chestnut. Japanese confectioners sell them all year, but they are most popular in autumn, given as gifts and eaten with green tea. Freshly baked, the dough is slightly firm; after a day in a tin the moisture from the filling softens it, so they are even better the next day. Glazing only once is an easy mistake: the first coat soaks in and looks patchy, so brush, bake briefly and brush again. Chef's tip: dust your hands well with flour as you wrap; this dough is soft and sticky, and handling it with floured fingers is the only way to keep the shell thin and even.

85 min

Japanese Baking

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Octopus sausages (tako-san wiener)

Open a Japanese child's bento almost anywhere in the country and there is a good chance of finding tako-san wiener: small frankfurters with the bottom half cut into legs, which curl out like an octopus when they hit a hot pan. They go in on school-trip days and sports days, often with a tiny sesame-seed face. They contain whatever your sausages contain; check the label for wheat, milk and soya. For children under 5, cut the finished sausages in half lengthwise to avoid a choking risk. Chef's tip: cut the legs only halfway up the sausage, or the head splits off.

10 min

Japanese Meat

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Karei no nitsukeFlounder in sweet soy

Nitsuke is the quick, glossy way Japanese home cooks simmer white fish, and flounder (karei) is the classic, especially in Hokkaido and along the Sea of Japan coast, where it is bought whole and cut into steaks at the fishmonger's. The fish cooks in only 10 minutes in a small amount of soy, sake, mirin and sugar with ginger, spooned over until it glistens; the flesh stays soft and sweet. Serve with rice and a green vegetable, and the broth to spoon over the rice. A portion is about 210 kcal. Sake and mirin contain alcohol, boiled off before the fish goes in; the notes give swaps. The most common mistake is putting fish into cold liquid; it must go into boiling broth so the surface sets at once and the flesh doesn't go mushy. Chef's tip: use a pan just big enough for the fish in one layer, so the small amount of broth reaches all of it.

25 min

Japanese Fish

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Sake no shioyakiSalt-grilled salmon

A piece of salt-grilled salmon with crisp, blistered skin is the heart of the traditional Japanese breakfast in ryokan from Hokkaido to Kyushu, set beside rice, miso soup and pickles, and in homes it is the plainest weeknight dinner of all. Salting the fish 10–15 minutes ahead in the fridge firms the flesh, draws out moisture and seasons it right through. Serve with grated daikon and a wedge of lemon. A portion is about 260 kcal. The common mistake is grilling straight from wet; pat the fillets very dry after salting, or the skin steams instead of crisping. Chef's tip: grill skin side up first under the grill, or skin side down first in a pan; the skin should get the most heat.

27 min

Japanese Fish

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