Asazuke

Ingrediënten

Asazuke brine

400mL filtered water

5g dried kombu

13g salt

25g (1.5 tbsp) mirin

5g (1 tsp) sugar

Vegetables for pickling, such as

Asparagus

Cherry tomato

Cucumber

Instructies

For Kombu Dashi

I use cold brew Kombu stock. It’s very simple and easy!

Kombu dashi develops the best flavour when it’s cold-brewed.

Combine the water and kombu and let it steep in the fridge for 8–10 hours.

Remove the kombu, pour the kombu dashi into a pot, and add salt, sugar, and mirin.

Heat gently just until the salt dissolves, then turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.

While it’s cooling, prepare the vegetables you want to pickle.

Once the liquid is no longer hot, pour it over the vegetables and let them rest in the fridge for about a day. They’ll be ready to enjoy the next day.

If you leave the kombu in water in the fridge for about 8–10 hours, the umami slowly extracts, and the broth becomes clean, mellow, and naturally sweet, without any bitterness or harsh edge.

For asparagus,

Trim about 1 cm off the bottom, then peel the lower 5–6 cm of the stalk with a peeler. Blanch briefly in salted boiling water for about 30 seconds, then transfer immediately to cold water. This way, the asparagus doesn’t overcook, and it keeps its beautiful green colour.

For tomatoes,

You can add them with the skin on, but if you prefer a smoother texture and want the seasoning to soak in more, try this method. Score the skin lightly, then use the same hot water you used for the asparagus and dip the tomatoes for about 20–40 seconds. Move them to an ice water bowl, and the skins will slip off easily.

For cucumbers,

Simple rounds work perfectly, but if you want to play with texture, try cutting them a little differently than you usually do and see how the mouthfeel changes.