Simmered Daikon (Daikon Fukumeni)
Daikon is the hero of this Simmered Daikon recipe because it is just a daikon cooked in soy-based broth. This is one of the simplest looking dishes, yet it is so tasty with a knob of wasabi as a garnish.Cook Time is long as you need to do pre-boiling for 15-20 minutes. But you can stop at this point and re-start cooking the next day if you want.Use konbu dashi to make this dish vergetarian.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 5 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 500g/1.1lb daikon cut to 3-4cm/1⅛-1½" thick discs ((note 1))
- 2 tbsp rice or white liquid from washing rice
- 500ml/1.1pt dashi stock ((note 2))
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirin
- ½ tsp salt
- Wasabi paste
Instructions
- 1
Peel skin of each daikon disc thinly, then remove the round edges (mentori) of each disc. See the section MENTORI (面取り) for details.
- 2
(Optional) If your daikon discs are thick and large, make cross incisions on one side of each daikon. The depth of incisions needs to be ⅓ to ½ through. See the photo in the section KAKUSHIBŌCHŌ (隠し包丁). This will cook daikon pieces faster.
- 3
Place daikon pieces in a pot (note 3) without overlapping, flat side up.
- 4
Add water with 2 tablesponns of rice or white liquid to cover the daikon pieces about 1-2cm/¼” above the daikon.
- 5
Bring it to a boil. Reduce to low and cook for 15-20 minutes until the centre of daikon pieces are cooked through (I use a bamboo skewer to poke daikon in the centre to check it).
- 6
Remove from heat and leave to cool a bit. Rinse daikon pieces and remove stickiness from the surface of daikon (note 4).
- 7
Place daikon pieces in a pot, flat side up without overlapping. Add the Fukumeni Flavouring ingredients.
- 8
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, place a drop lid (note 5) on and cook for 20 minutes.
- 9
Transfer the daikon to a zip lock bag without overlapping, then add the liquid in the pot to the bag (note 6).
- 10
Remove the air as much as possible from the bag (note 7), seal the bag and leave it to cool. Best to leave overnight.
- 11
Serve (cut side down if you made incisions in step 2) with some broth and a drop of wasabi in the centre.