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2,346 recipes

Ebi fry (Japanese breaded prawns with tartare)Breaded fried prawns

In Nagoya, ebi fry is a point of local pride, served in long, straight prawns that stick out over the edge of the plate, but it is on the menu of every family restaurant and bento shop in Japan. Large prawns are scored so they stay straight, coated in panko and fried until crunchy, then served with a chunky tartare of boiled egg, onion and pickles. The common mistake is skipping the scoring; the prawns curl tight in the hot oil and the coating cracks. Prawns are done when they turn pink and opaque all the way through, usually in under 3 minutes. Use fresh or thawed raw prawns that smell of the sea; throw out any that smell of ammonia. Chef's tip: press each prawn flat on the board after scoring until you feel a slight click; that stops it curling.

35 minJapaneseFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Melon panCookie-crust sweet bun

Melon pan takes its name from its looks, not its taste: a soft sweet bun baked under a sugary cookie crust scored into a criss-cross pattern like a cantaloupe rind. Japanese bakeries and school canteens sell it everywhere, and around Kobe and Hiroshima the same bun is often called sunrise. It is best on the day it is baked, when the crust still crackles against the fluffy inside. The common mistake is warm, soft cookie dough, which sticks to your hands and slides off the bun in the oven; keep it well chilled and work quickly. Chef's tip: roll the cookie dough between two sheets of baking paper so you can lift it neatly onto each bun.

75 minJapaneseBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

SujeonggwaCinnamon persimmon punch

After a big Seollal feast in Seoul, sujeonggwa comes out ice-cold in small bowls, dark red-brown and fragrant with cinnamon and ginger, with a soft dried persimmon and a few pine nuts floating in each one. It is the punch of the New Year season, made a day or two ahead and kept on a cold balcony. The cinnamon and ginger are boiled separately and then combined, which keeps each flavour clean. The common mistake is boiling the cinnamon too long or too hard: it turns bitter and cloudy, so keep it to a gentle simmer. Contains pine nuts. Chef's tip: soak the dried persimmons in the cooled punch only a few hours before serving, so they soften without falling apart.

60 minKoreanDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tonno sott'olioTuna preserved in oil

In the tonnare, the old tuna fisheries of Sicily and Calabria around Favignana and Pizzo, fresh bluefin tuna was boiled in sea water and packed in olive oil to keep for months. At home, Italian families still do it with a piece of fresh tuna: poached gently in salted water with bay and lemon, dried and covered in good oil. It tastes far better than tinned tuna and is perfect for salads and pasta. Chef's tip: poach the tuna at a bare simmer and let it cool in the water; boiling makes it dry and stringy.

80 minItalianFishGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Japanese cream stew (chicken white stew)

When the first cold evenings arrive in Hokkaido, where dairy farming is king, and then across the rest of Japan, home cooks make cream stew: chunks of chicken thigh, potato, carrot and onion simmered in stock and finished with a silky milk sauce, eaten with rice or bread. It was a school lunch favourite after the war and is still one of the gentlest, most child-friendly Japanese dinners. This version makes the roux from scratch instead of using a block. A common mistake is adding cold milk to a fast boil, which can make it split; stir it in over a low heat. Chef's tip: add the broccoli only in the last 3 minutes so it stays bright green.

50 minJapaneseChicken
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Shokupan (Japanese milk bread)

Shokupan is the everyday sandwich loaf of Japan, sold by the half loaf at bakeries from Sapporo to Fukuoka and toasted in thick slabs for breakfast with butter and jam. Its feathery, pull-apart crumb comes from a cooked flour paste (yudane-style) that lets the dough hold more water, so the bread stays soft for days. You need a 900 g loaf tin and a few hours of mostly waiting. The usual mistake is slicing it while hot, which squashes the delicate crumb into gummy layers; let it cool fully. Chef's tip: roll each piece of dough into a tight spiral before it goes into the tin, which gives the tall, even rise and those stringy, tearable layers.

75 minJapaneseBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Torta della nonnaLemon custard pine nut tart

Torta della nonna, "grandmother's tart", is on the dessert menu of almost every trattoria in Florence and across Tuscany: a shortcrust case filled with thick lemon-scented custard, covered with a second layer of pastry and scattered with pine nuts and icing sugar. Despite the name it was probably invented by a Florentine restaurant cook in the 1900s, but it tastes of family Sunday lunches. Contains pine nuts. Chef's tip: let the custard cool completely before filling the tart; warm custard melts the butter in the pastry and makes the base soggy.

90 minItalianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kaisendon (seafood rice bowl)

At the morning markets of Hakodate and Sapporo, and in harbour towns all along Japan's coast, kaisendon is breakfast: a bowl of sushi rice heaped with raw salmon, tuna, scallops and glistening salmon roe, eaten with wasabi and a drizzle of soy. At home, buy only fish sold as sushi- or sashimi-grade that has been previously frozen (freezing kills parasites), keep it cold and eat it the day you buy it. Raw fish is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; for them, sear the salmon and tuna all over and cook through, and use cooked prawns. The common mistake is piling cold fish onto hot rice, which warms the fish and makes the rice gluey; cool the rice to body temperature first. Chef's tip: slice the fish across the grain in one long pull of a very sharp knife, not a sawing motion.

50 minJapaneseFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Myeolchi bokkeumSweet stir-fried anchovies

Myeolchi bokkeum is the lunchbox banchan of Korea, made with tiny dried anchovies landed and sun-dried on the southern coast around Tongyeong and Namhae, the country's anchovy heartland. The little fish are toasted in a dry pan, then tossed in garlic oil and a quick soy and rice-syrup glaze, so they end up crunchy, sweet, salty and deeply savoury. A small dish goes alongside rice at almost every Korean meal. The common mistake is adding the syrup over a high heat: it caramelises into a hard sheet that welds the anchovies into a brick. Chef's tip: take the pan off the heat before the syrup goes in and toss; the pan's leftover warmth is enough to glaze without hardening.

15 minKoreanFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Saengseon jeonEgg-battered fish slices

Saengseon jeon is one of the golden jeon laid out on ancestral rite tables at Chuseok and Seollal, especially in coastal homes along the East Sea, where pollock and cod are the holiday fish. Thin slices of white fish are seasoned, floured, dipped in egg and fried gently, giving delicate, tender fish inside a soft yellow coat. They are eaten with a soy-vinegar dip. The common mistake is cutting the fish too thick, so the egg browns before the centre is cooked. Chef's tip: slice the fillets while they are still half-frozen; you can cut neat 7 mm slices that cook in the time it takes the egg to set.

35 minKoreanFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

SikhyeSweet rice punch

Every Korean jjimjilbang (bathhouse) sells sikhye in little cans, and every grandmother makes a big pot of it before Seollal and Chuseok to sip after the heavy holiday meal, because it is believed to help digestion. Barley malt water and cooked rice are kept warm for several hours until enzymes turn the rice starch into sugar and the grains float up to the top, then the drink is boiled with ginger and chilled until icy. It is mild, lightly sweet and nutty, with soft rice grains to slurp. The usual mistake is letting it get too hot while it ferments: above about 65 °C the enzymes stop working and the grains never float. Contains barley (gluten). Chef's tip: use the rice cooker's 'keep warm' setting; it holds the perfect temperature on its own.

320 minKoreanDrinksVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Eomuk bokkeumStir-fried fish cake

Busan's fish cake makers on the old docks near Bupyeong market made eomuk famous, and eomuk bokkeum is how Korean homes everywhere turn a pack of fish cake sheets into a quick side dish for school lunchboxes. Strips of fish cake are stir-fried with onion, carrot and pepper in a sweet soy glaze, staying soft and bouncy with crisp vegetable bites. Most children love it, and a pinch of chilli flakes makes a grown-up version. The common mistake is frying the fish cake straight from the packet: its frying oil turns the dish greasy and dulls the sauce. Chef's tip: pour boiling water over the strips and drain before cooking; they soak up the glaze much better.

18 minKoreanFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sanshoku soboro don (three-colour rice bowl)

Japanese mothers have packed sanshoku soboro bento for school trips and sports days for generations: brown soy-simmered chicken mince, yellow sweet scrambled egg and green beans laid in three neat stripes over rice. It is cheap, colourful and loved by children, and it travels well cold. The chicken is cooked with a splash of sake and mirin that simmers right off; use water and a pinch more sugar for an alcohol-free version. The common mistake is clumpy soboro: stir the mince with four chopsticks held together over a low heat from the start, and it breaks into fine, fluffy crumbs. Chicken must reach 74 °C with no pink. Chef's tip: take the eggs off the heat while still slightly wet; they finish cooking in the hot pan and stay soft.

30 minJapaneseChicken
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Scarcella puglieseEaster egg biscuit bread

In Bari, Foggia and the Salento, scarcelle are baked in the days before Easter, often by children with their grandmothers: a soft, lemony shortbread-like dough shaped into baskets, doves, hearts or dolls, each holding a whole egg in its shell held down by strips of dough, then iced and covered in sprinkles. They are given as gifts on Easter morning and to children as a sign of new life. Chef's tip: use raw eggs in their shells and wash them first; they cook in the oven while the biscuit bakes. They are decorative, so wash and dry them well.

75 minItalianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Cannoncini alla cremaCustard puff pastry horns

Every pastry shop in Turin and Piedmont has a tray of cannoncini: puff pastry wrapped around metal cones, baked until golden and flaky, then piped full of vanilla custard and dusted with icing sugar. Little ones are part of the "pasticcini mignon" bought on Sunday morning after church to take to lunch at the grandparents' house. You need cannoncino or cream-horn moulds. Chef's tip: fill them just before serving; custard softens the pastry within a few hours.

60 minItalianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Savoiardi

Savoiardi were created in the 1300s at the court of the House of Savoy in Piedmont, for a visit by the King of France. They are long, light finger biscuits of whipped eggs, sugar and flour, with a crisp sugary crust and a dry, spongy inside, made to be soaked: in coffee for tiramisù, in liqueur for zuppa inglese, or in milk for children's breakfast. Chef's tip: dust the piped fingers twice with icing sugar, 5 minutes apart; this forms the pearly crust that keeps them crisp outside.

37 minItalianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Torta capreseFlourless chocolate almond cake

Torta caprese was born on the island of Capri in the 1920s, the story goes, when a baker forgot to add flour to a chocolate almond cake and created a classic by accident. It is now the cake of the Amalfi Coast: dense, moist and fudgy in the middle, with a thin crackled crust and a dusting of icing sugar. Restaurants in Capri and Sorrento serve it with a spoonful of cream or lemon sorbet. It is naturally gluten free. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: take it out while the middle is still slightly soft; it firms up as it cools and stays moist for days.

65 minItalianBakingGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chikuzenni (Fukuoka simmered chicken and root vegetables)

Chikuzen is the old name for the Fukuoka area of northern Kyushu, where this sweet-savoury simmer of chicken and root vegetables is called gameni and turns up at every family gathering; across Japan it is packed into the New Year osechi boxes and eaten cold. The chicken and vegetables are first stir-fried in oil, then simmered in dashi with soy, sugar, sake and mirin until the liquid reduces to a glaze. The sake and mirin simmer for 20 minutes, so the alcohol cooks off; use water and extra sugar for an alcohol-free version. The common mistake is stirring too much, which breaks the taro and lotus root into mush; shake the pan instead. Chef's tip: let it cool in the pot; the vegetables soak up flavour as it cools, so it is even better the next day.

50 minJapaneseChicken
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Acciughe al verdeAnchovies in green sauce

Piedmont has no coast, yet anchovies are part of its soul: salt-packed anchovies came over the mountain passes from Liguria with the salt traders, and acciughe al verde is still on the antipasto trolley of every trattoria in Turin and the Langhe. Fillets are layered in a jar with a green sauce of parsley, garlic, olive oil and a little vinegar and chilli, then left for a day to mellow. They are eaten with bread and butter or with boiled potatoes. Chef's tip: soak salted anchovies in a bowl of milk or water and vinegar for 10 minutes; it draws out the harsh salt and makes the fillets easy to lift off the bone.

30 minItalianFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Folpetti lessiBoiled baby octopus

In the bacari (wine bars) of Venice, around the Rialto market, folpetti sit warm in a tray on the counter and are speared with a toothpick as a cicchetto, the city's small bite eaten standing up before lunch or after work. They are tiny musky octopus from the lagoon, simply boiled until tender and dressed with olive oil, lemon, garlic and parsley. The texture should be tender with a slight bite, never rubbery. Chef's tip: let the octopus cool in its cooking water for 15 minutes; it finishes softening gently and soaks up flavour.

55 minItalianFishGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Insalata di mareSeafood salad

Along every Italian coast, from the Adriatic beaches of Romagna to the Amalfi Coast, insalata di mare is the cold antipasto that opens a seafood lunch in summer and the Christmas Eve feast in winter. Squid, prawns, mussels and clams are cooked separately, each just long enough, then dressed with lemon, olive oil, garlic, celery and parsley and left to chill so the flavours meld. Chef's tip: cook each kind of seafood on its own and pull it the moment it is done; squid needs only a minute or two, and overcooked squid turns as tough as a rubber band.

55 minItalianFishGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Alici marinateMarinated fresh anchovies

Along the Amalfi Coast and in the fish restaurants of Naples, alici marinate are a summer antipasto: very fresh anchovy fillets "cooked" by soaking in lemon juice and vinegar until they turn white, then dressed with olive oil, garlic, parsley and chilli. The fish is not heated, so it is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system. To be safe from parasites, freeze the cleaned fillets at −20 °C for at least 96 hours (or buy them already frozen) before marinating; the acid does not kill parasites. For a fully cooked version, poach the fillets in the marinade for 1 minute, until opaque. Chef's tip: marinate in the fridge until the flesh is white all the way through; pink in the middle means it needs longer.

30 minItalianFishGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tendon (tempura rice bowl)

In Tokyo's old shitamachi districts, Asakusa above all, tendon shops have been serving bowls of rice crowned with prawn and vegetable tempura since the Edo period, the batter soaked just enough in a dark, sweet soy sauce to go half crisp, half soft. It is a hearty lunch, and a great way to make tempura at home without having to serve it piece by piece. The tare uses mirin, boiled for a few minutes so the alcohol mostly cooks off; use sugar and water instead for an alcohol-free version. The common mistake is over-mixing the batter: stir with chopsticks only a few times, leaving lumps, and keep it ice-cold so the coating stays lacy and light. Chef's tip: dip each piece in the warm sauce for just a second before laying it on the rice.

45 minJapaneseFish
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers with tare)

Yakitori smoke drifts from the tiny stalls under the railway arches at Tokyo's Yurakucho and around Shinjuku's Omoide Yokocho every evening, where office workers stand shoulder to shoulder eating skewers straight off the charcoal. This recipe makes negima, the classic alternating chunks of chicken thigh and spring onion, brushed with tare, a glaze of soy, mirin, sake and sugar that is boiled down so the alcohol cooks off (use water and extra sugar for an alcohol-free version). An oven grill or barbecue both work. The common mistake is brushing on the glaze from the start, which burns before the chicken is cooked; grill first, glaze at the end. Chef's tip: thread the pieces snugly but not squashed, and keep the skin side on the outside so it crisps.

45 minJapaneseChicken
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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